Treatments for dental problems in Texas can cost up to $7000. In this instance, your best bet is to see if it’s covered by insurance. You can receive braces for as cheap as $700 to $2000 at Affordable Dentist Near Me, depending on your insurance coverage.
Does insurance cover braces in Texas?
Is adult braces covered by dental insurance? Some policies do, but it might be difficult to find a dental insurance plan that covers adult braces. Even though, according to a 2017 survey, one out of every three orthodontic patients is an adult1, several policies include an age limit on orthodontic coverageusually around the age of 19.
If your dental insurance policy covers adult braces, check to see if there is a yearly or lifetime maximum benefit for braces. Some policies pay a fixed price while others pay a percentage of the dentist’s fees. The most common limitation for braces is the lifetime maximum benefit amount.
Adult braces are covered by dental insurance, which can help you save money on what would otherwise be a very costly surgery. According to a 2015 report, the typical cost of braces for adults is expected to be between $3,000 and $7,0002.
Don’t worry if your existing insurance doesn’t cover adult braces. There are a variety of alternative methods available to assist you in paying for braces.
Individual dental insurance
You can enroll in an individual dental insurance plan if your employer-sponsored dental insurance plan does not cover braces for adults. Many businesses provide stand-alone dental insurance. Simply be sure that the plan covers braces regardless of age.
For a fixed cost of $2,800, Guardian Direct Managed DentalGuard DHMO plans in New York, Florida, Illinois, and Texas offer braces for adults 19 and up with no waiting time. Pretreatment and retention may require additional copayments. These plans can be found by visiting our Exchange website. To sign up for a dental plan, go to healthcare.gov and enroll in a medical plan.
After a 12-month waiting period, the Guardian Direct Achiever dental insurance plan covers orthodontia up to 50% with a lifetime maximum of $1000, but only for participants under the age of 19.
Orthodontic schools
Look into your local dentistry school if you’re seeking for affordable braces for adults, especially if you don’t have insurance. Dental schools that are open to the public can be found in several states. Those that provide orthodontist training have specific prerequisites that students must meet before graduating under the supervision of faculty dentists. Fees may be less expensive than in a private clinic if this option is available in your area.
Payment plans
Most orthodontist clinics offer payment options because orthodontic treatment is typically a two to three-year commitment. This could include anything from in-house financing to dental-specific credit card options. Spreading the costs over several years with a low-interest financing plan may help you decide whether or not to pursue necessary treatment.
Personal loans, credit cards
Although these choices are more expensive, they may be a viable option for paying for adult braces. Credit cards are accepted by the majority of dentists. If you have an excellent relationship with your local bank, a short-term loan from them could be the solution to your financial problems.
How much do you pay out of pocket for braces with insurance?
If you have dental insurance, you’re undoubtedly wondering how much braces with dental insurance cost. If you and your family have health insurance, the first thing you should do is check to see if braces are covered. Your insurance may cover a portion of the cost of your or your child’s orthodontic treatment. Prescription items such as an anti-cavity fluoride rinse, which helps ensure healthy, beautiful teeth after braces are removed, may be covered by your dental insurance.
What are the costs of braces once your insurance has covered a portion of the treatment? According to CostHelper reader reviews, people with insurance paid an average of $3,407 out of cash for standard metal braces. In most cases, insurance pays a portion of the down payment and spreads the balance of the benefit over the course of treatment. The entire amount covered by insurance is usually limited by a maximum benefit, so check with your provider to see what your coverage limit is.
Medicaid/CHIP or State-Sponsored Insurance
The ability to receive financial assistance for braces is contingent on your income. Low-income families who qualify for Medicaid, CHIP, or a state-sponsored low-income insurance program may be eligible for free braces treatment for their children. State-by-state eligibility rules differ: some states cover youngsters up to the age of 21, while others only cover them up to the age of 18.
To be eligible, children must have been diagnosed with an orthodontic issue that necessitates treatment. This is true for roughly 5-15 percent of orthodontic patients; for the rest, the diagnosis is regarded as cosmetic and will not be covered by these plans.
Problems in the structure of the jaw that cause pain or difficulty opening and closing the mouth
The preceding list isn’t exhaustive, and many youngsters may suffer from multiple ailments. Visit an orthodontist for a consultation to check whether your child qualifies. These consultations may be provided free of charge by the doctor’s office or may be covered by your insurance plan.
Private Dental Insurance or FSA/HSA Plans
You can use private dental insurance and/or supplemental orthodontic insurance to cover at least a portion of the costs of your child’s braces treatment if you have them. This may allow your child to acquire braces with lesser out-of-pocket costs, lowering the treatment’s overall cost.
Each insurance plan has its own set of qualifying rules and coverage amounts; make sure to check your plan’s maximum lifetime benefits and the types of treatment it covers, as well as identify an orthodontic specialist who accepts your insurance.
Smiles Change Lives and other braces discounts programs
Several non-profit organizations assist children from low-income households in receiving orthodontic treatment. Braces can be entirely funded or cost $250-$500 out of pocket, depending on your family’s income, the circumstances of your child’s orthodontic treatment, and where you live.
Smiles Change Lives and Smile for a Lifetime both generate funds and accept volunteer support from orthodontists to give deserving children with free or reduced-cost braces treatment. There are some restrictions, and not all orthodontic practices are affiliated with these organizations. For further information, contact these organizations directly or ask your orthodontist.
Dentalsave or other dental savings programs
Unlike dental insurance, dental savings plans provide members cheaper services in exchange for a monthly fee. Members pay an annual fee to join the plan and then receive special offers and discounts, including coverage for braces.
These programs will not fully cover the cost of braces for children or adults, but they may assist cut the cost of braces by roughly 25%. Find out if your orthodontist works with dental savings plans by speaking with them.
Will Texas Medicaid pay for braces?
For Texas Medicaid members with a severe handicapping malocclusion or unique medical disorders such as cleft palate, post-head trauma injury involving the oral cavity, and/or skeletal deformities involving the oral cavity, comprehensive medically necessary orthodontic services are a covered benefit.
How much would braces cost for 6 months?
First and foremost, what exactly is Six Month Smiles? The method advertises itself as a cost-effective alternative for adults aged 16 and up to straighten their teeth using clear braces in roughly six months. In most cases, a regular dentist rather than an orthodontist performs the treatment. Your dentist takes impressions of your teeth, sends them to Six Month Smiles, and the company sends them a “patient tray kit,” which includes brackets that have been placed by a technician and set in bonding trays so they’re ready to go for the dentist, as well as all of the other materials needed, such as wires and ligatures.
- Six Month Smiles normally costs between $3,000 and $4,500, which is less expensive than some other solutions (we’ll go over this in the cons section).
- It could be a viable solution for those with minor conditions who only require a cosmetic update.
- The scanning and impressions are processed quickly, and the dentist receives the kit within five days of sending it off.
The Cons of Six Month Smiles
Although the 6 Month Smiles before and after photos on the company’s website are impressive, you’ll notice that none of the folks included in the success stories had serious dental issues previous to treatment. Is Six Month Smiles effective? It may be possible in a small number of circumstances, such as when a patient has a perfect bite in the back and only minor space or crowding in the front teeth. The program is unlikely to be a feasible alternative for the majority of people. Let’s take a closer look at the Six Month Smiles issues:
- Despite the company’s claims, the braces they employ are standard clear braces, and an orthodontist will have access to newer, more cutting-edge materials, technology, and treatment alternatives.
- The six-month average treatment time is due to the fact that it mainly addresses cosmetic issues. When you smile, the braces only move the teeth that are visible, which are your top front teeth. This is even stated in the fine print.
- Your bite (the way your upper and lower teeth fit together) and jaw alignment are not fixed with Six Month Smiles. Only repositioning a few teeth can exacerbate your bite, causing difficulty with chewing and speaking as well as lasting, unwelcome changes in your facial shape. If this occurs, more intensive therapy will be required in the future.
- The price of 6 Month Smiles is comparable to the cost of standard orthodontic treatment. Because you’ll just be wearing braces for six months and will only be straightening your front teeth, the price may be slightly lower.
- We must emphasize that Invisalign is substantially less apparent than Six Month Smiles since the aligners are composed of smooth, flexible plastic that is designed to suit your mouth perfectly. When you grin, lingual braces are barely visible, and ordinary clear braces will be the same. Six Months Smiles isn’t the place to go if you’re looking for the most inconspicuous orthodontic treatment.
- Individuals aged 16 and over are eligible to participate in the program. This excludes a large number of patients.
- Yes, Dr. Sturgill may be biased as a board-certified orthodontist, but becoming a Six Month Smiles provider is as simple as paying a fee and attending a two-day course. The dentist then receives a box containing brackets that have already been placed in their precise locations by Six Month Smiles professionals. These technicians, who aren’t dentists or orthodontists, never see your mouth in person and are only educated in “short term ortho” bracket implantation, never see your mouth in person. Considering how important your smile is, going to someone who will treat you with a kit put together by a random person is not in your best interests.
- We adore dentists and have no intention of criticizing them. Orthodontists are, after all, dentists. General dentists, on the other hand, are experts in all aspects of your oral health. Orthodontists are experts at detecting and correcting malocclusion, or a bad bite. It’s the equivalent of seeing a podiatrist for a heart condition. Although both a cardiologist and a podiatrist attended medical school, their specializations are vastly different. The key to successful therapy is receiving the accurate diagnosis and finding the underlying cause of your malocclusion, and braces, whether six months or not, are only as effective as the clinician who uses them.
The Bottom Line
After graduating from dentistry school, a certified specialist in orthodontics completes two or three years of specialty training in an orthodontic residency program. Before going out on their own, they learn about the subtleties of tooth straightening and bite alignment, as well as gaining considerable experience dealing with patients. Dr. Sturgill went one step further by obtaining board certification. He put in hundreds of extra hours to prove he was capable of providing the finest degree of treatment and acquired the title of Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. He now instructs future orthodontists. These stringent educational and experience requirements would not exist if teeth straightening could be learned in two days!
Can you negotiate cost of braces?
However, the good news is that orthodontists provide a range of payment options. Many orthodontists enable customers to pay in monthly installments with no interest, and some even let you negotiate the amount. When Lisa Madsen, 39, wanted to correct her bite last spring, she sought the advice of two orthodontists. She felt more at ease with the first doctor’s diagnosis, despite the fact that his treatment was more expensive. Madsen, a stay-at-home mom in East Windsor, Conn., says she took the lower quotation to the (first) orthodontist and said, “Can you work with me?” As a result, he was able to lower his pricing by $300.
If you pay in cash or with a credit card at the start of treatment, certain orthodontists may give you a discount, usually 5 to 10%. After the first patient was treated, one woman said her orthodontist offered a family discount of $300 per patient.
Can braces be paid monthly?
Here are some ways Dental Associates can help you pay for your braces so you can achieve your dream smile:
- If you opt to pay for your braces in full using cash, credit/debit cards, or check, you will receive a 5% discount on the cost of your braces. These savings might give you more confidence in your investment and budget.
- Monthly payment alternatives: To make your orthodontic expenses more reasonable, we offer monthly payment options. Dental Associates accepts recurring monthly payments from a checking or savings account for increased convenience.
- We accept full payment and monthly payment contracts with your Health Savings Account (HSA) and/or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) (FSA). We recommend that you check with your HSA or FSA account representative to see if your account covers orthodontic services.
- CareCredit: CareCredit is a health-specific personal line of credit that can be used for a variety of health, beauty, and wellness expenses such as dental, medical, vision, and more. Dental Associates offers CareCredit monthly payment options with interest deferred (no interest) for up to 24 months! Learn more about CareCredit’s dental financing options.
- Additional dental insurance: Our clinics provide CarePlus supplemental dental insurance, which helps to defray the expense of braces. Whether you have your own dental insurance or none at all, ask one of our friendly team members about CarePlus during your consultation. (Not all insurances are eligible for CarePlus.)
How can I afford braces?
If you have dental insurance, your provider may cover a percentage of the cost of your braces. Even if they only cover a portion of the cost, you may find that you can manage to pay for the rest of the braces. Keep in mind that your insurance provider will only pay for portion of your orthodontic treatment if you get braces from an orthodontist who accepts your insurance.