Braces, a load of bullshit: advice needed

OK, just talked to my mom. Here's the breakdown:

* Obviously, I have no idea where you are, but if that $5000 is for one year of treatment, that sounds WAY too high, she said. IF it's for two years of treatment, that's about average.

* Re: getting a second insurance policy, keep in mind you have to keep the insurance through the entirety of the treatment. So weigh the extra cost of the second policy vs. the $1000 you'd likely not have to pay the doctor and see if that works out to your benefit.

* Most offices work either with CareCredit or Chase Health Advance, which are basically health-care credit cards. I was able to get $3600 worth of dental work for $200 a month, 18 months, no interest. My mom said her office works with both. Check with the office about financing.

* Also, most offices are willing to bargain, for lack of a better term. If you explain your current situation, tell them your child needs this work and all that, but you simply can't afford that much of a payment, most will work with you on lowering costs.

If you have any more questions, I can ask her anything. The points above about comparison shopping stand, but always ask around for reviews.

 

I had one tooth that stuck out a little. I wore a retainer for - no lie - 2 weeks when I was in 8th grade. The tooth moved back and never moved again. I hated that damn retainer. I gagged for an entire day until I got used to it.

 

Tell the kid to keep his mouth shut for pictures.

 

I think I wore my retainer twice after my braces were off, accidentally stepped on it, then never wore it again. Also, when the wires would bother me by poking me, I would take a needle-nose pliers and remove them. I don't know how many extra visits I had to make to have the orthodontist rewire my braces, and now this thread makes me feel bad my parents had to pay for all that extra work.

 

And we made it to the second page without anyone stating the obvious ...





















Dental Plan!

 

Had braces in high school but my teeth got moved when my wisdom teeth came in (in college), thereby rendering two years of mouth hell moot.

 

I envy the shit out of anyone who has insurance that covers even a portion of orthodontics.

At my last job, the insurance would have fully covered having all of my kid's teeth yanked out and replaced by dentures......but wouldn't pay a cent of orthodontics. Luckily for him, I scraped up the cash for the orthodontics.

 

Well since I posted the commencement to this thread, I have gone to two other orthos. The one-year plan is based on their finance plan...which is one year. You have the braces for as long as it takes to correct the problem...generally 2 years. Another clinic will finance for two. Still, insurance won't pay but $1,000 of it, period, and it looks to me like $5K is the going rate.

 

I avoided braces as a teen and I'm glad I did. I'm also glad I had the choice to say no to my parents and they listened. I've not had a problem, knock on wood, with my teeth.

 

I had braces when I was a kid. Somewhere around eighth grade.

All I know is I remember being younger than that and having four teeth removed on the same day by a dentist who I think was a sadist, because he used that tool they have to wedge my mouth open for the entire procedure.

Anyway, it was torture. Then, braces meant twice as many trips to oral doctors - dentist for regular shit and the orthodontist for the braces.

Then, after braces, I needed to wear a retainer to keep the teeth from moving back. I did. For as long as I could stand it anyway.

Twenty years later and my bottom teeth are as crooked as they were when I had the braces removed.

Fuck braces.

And dentists.

I'm scarred for life. Seriously.

 

When I was younger, the dentist always told my parents I should get braces. (Far as I can tell, the only issue is that two front teeth on the bottom row are crooked, both slanting inward a little. Can't remember the last time I even thought about it until I read this thread.)

I always refused, partially because I knew our middle class family of five had a better use for a few grand, and partially because everyone talked about how much they hurt.

Now, 15 or so years later, I have no self-image issues related to my teeth, and there are no functional issues either. If a dentist advised me to get braces, they'd better have a lot of evidence that my life will be much worse if I don't.