A big question you’ll have is the cost of braces. Braces, as an investment, are for your smile, your health, and your confidence. A great investment but it does cost some money. So let’s talk about the fee for your braces.

Your cost will be based on the estimate for the length of your treatment and its complexity.

Some people with really crooked teeth may be surprised that their braces will take less time and cost less than a friend whose teeth don’t look as crooked. It’s not how your teeth look but the details in the treatment and the work involved.

You might wonder if you can save money by having braces on just one set of teeth. This can work well but in fewer cases than you might think. There are a few reasons for this. The biggest reason is that your orthodontists are not just straightening your teeth, they’re also fitting the upper and lower teeth together. That usually means moving both sets of teeth.

Another factor is that the upper teeth are like a container for the lower teeth.

The lower teeth need to fit within the upper teeth. So it could be hard or impossible to straighten the lower teeth without also straightening the upper teeth too. And because the upper teeth form around the lower, straightening the upper teeth and leaving the lower teeth crooked makes it easier for the crookedness to come back to those upper teeth as they want to reform around those crooked lower teeth. But there are cases that can work out very nicely to move one set of teeth when it makes sense for you and your smile.

So braces can cost anywhere from around $2,000 for a shorter course of treatment in one arch, to over 8,000 for a complex case in both arches. A simple retainer would certainly be less, but retainers can only move one or two teeth efficiently. Teeth live and work together, everything’s connected. So we usually have to plan to move all the teeth as a group and that means braces a typical situation will be between these two amounts.

Every situation is different and your orthodontists can’t give you the fee or even an estimate until they see you in person to help you figure out what makes sense for you and your smile. Of course, they’ll help you to find out what your insurance can cover.

If you have a question about braces and straightening your teeth, just feel free to leave comments below. Hope this helped.