why are dental braces so expensive???

[bluebell345]

we had an assessment with an orthodontist and he told us it would cost 3500pounds for a 2 years treatment with 3 sets of different braces.
they are only metallic stuff, how they can cost so much???

You are also paying for the orthodontists/dental nurse/technicians time - you need them adjusting every 6 weeks or so (maybe more often) so that could be 20 visits in total.

Huh? Isn't it free on nhs for children?

JessiePinkman, unfortunately we don't qualify for nhs treatment because my dc's teeth was assessed as grade 3, it should be 4 and upwards, that's what the orthodondist says, I don't know if I should believe it or not.
to me dc still needs treatment, very self conscious about it.
I heard about teaching hospitals, but don't know how to find an apply to them.
I also think of taking more prices from other orthodontists in our area if I can find them.
to me that price is too much exaggerated.

I don't know anyone who has had to pay for their DCs braces, I'm quite shocked this happens. Waiting on a referral for DS1.

We are in a similar position. Price sounds about right. Our orthodontist has a monthly payment plan.

Ive never heard of anyone having to pay either ?
My dds appt is tommorrow actually so I guess I will find out. Her teeth are horrendous though, they are side ways at the front !

Would feel awful though if I had to pay for DSs and couldn't afford it, feel a bit worried now

I think the guidelines changed a couple of years ago, it's much harder to get braces on the NHS now.

My DS didn't qualify but we decided that we would pay, because they were quite bad and the overcrowding would lead to problems later on in life.

We "shopped around" and had quotes for 3k, 2.5k and 1.7k. Went with the cheapest, he is almost at the end of treatment, has a permanent retainer at the bottom, and will get removable retainers made for nighttime, because it was so bad the teeth would move back. In 2 weeks the braces will come off, his teeth will get a polish and we're done.

They look incredibly good and it was money well spent. We had a payment plan, £500 up front and the rest in monthly installments of £100.

So it's not just the bits of metal and plastic, it's complicated, moulds are taken, dental lab work, the check ups with adjustments, the retainers (again, moulds taken and created in a lab).

£3.5k and 3 different braces (?) sounds a lot though. If you are in SE London, pm me for a recommendation.

Oh gawd I'm worried now. We've had one orthodontist appointment for dd he said to come back in 6 months as she's only 7 but has severe underbite already. No mention of cost at the time.

Do you think the NHS should pay for everyone to have braces or should there be some level at what which problems are deemed not appropriate to be fixed for free?

Bear in mind that when people are assessed for orthodontic treatment, the orthodontist looks at two components, firstly the affect of the tooth position on the health of the mouth and secondly at the aesthetic issue. If the problem is not adversely affecting the health of the teeth, despite not looking great, then treatment on the NHS is less likely. And vice versa, if they look bad, even if the health is ok, you may get treatment.

Well i'm 41 and having got braces myself in march, i'd say def get it done.....and it has cost me £3k. To be honest, money well spent

hospitals will only do braces for free if you qualify under the rating system as well sadly. DD2 gets her orthodontic treatment for free as she has a missing adult tooth (makes her a grade 5 automatically, and they're doing her top teeth as well for free). DD3 was assessed by the hospital as not severe enough, so we're trying a different orthodontist to see if she might scrape in to the free band; if not to see how much it will cost.

If my dc's teeth are classified as Grade 3 then it shouldn't involve too much work and it shouldn't cost that much.
I think orthodontists are taking advantage of the new nhs system and want to charge as much as they can.
How there can be so much difference between orthodontists prices ranging from 3k to 1.7k? Aren't there any guide lines?
We are not in SE Mellifera, but thank you.

If you don't want to be taken advantage of, don't pay for it.

Market forces, different systems, and on and on. It's a commercial business being an orthodontist and an expensive one at that. Huge debts from self funding your own training, massive insurance bills, overheads and so on.

Just like there are no guidelines as to how much a haircut should cost, these private businesses can charge whatever they like.

Hi. I don’t think all orthodontic treatments are so expensive. My sister got her metal braces at an affordable price from a family dentistry clinic in Houston ( www.shorttermbraces.com/services/dentistry-for-children-young-adults/ ). I’m not sure about the actual cost but I’m quite sure that it was affordable. And you will definitely need more dental visits in case of wear and tear of braces while chewing. So be careful in choosing your dentist.