What's in a fee?

The investment that you make in your child's orthodontic care may be almost as important as your plan for college savings. Numerous studies have been cited to support the claim that the self-esteem and confidence afforded through orthodontic treatment has been shown time and again to be life-changing. The unfortunate weight that our society places on facial esthetics plays a major role in the treatment of children by their peers and teachers, so much so that our governments have included orthodontic treatment in their budgets for medical appropriations. Mississippi is one of many states that now offer orthodontic treatment for certain Medicaid-eligible patients.

     

So how much is this orthodontic treatment worth? If the above examples were your children’s teeth, how much would you be willing to pay for treatment? Orthodontic fees tend to vary greatly depending on what region of the country you reside. The highest fees are commonly quoted on the west and east coasts and the lowest fees have been quoted in the larger southern cities. What determines the orthodontic fee has much to do with the length of treatment and the complexity of each case. Adolescent and teen orthodontic treatments tend to average between eighteen and twenty-four months, however, cases involving blocked-out teeth or severe crowding can take as long as thirty-six months to complete. Adult treatment time can vary even more due to the increasing density of the bone that occurs with age and the complexity of missing or over-retained teeth. (Note below the different types of adult bites of varying complexity.)

Porcelain or cosmetic braces and longer office visits often associated with adult treatment also factor into the treatment costs. As such, adult orthodontic treatment is usually a bit more expensive than teen and adolescent treatment fees.

When consideration is given to orthodontic costs, one must also consider the value associated with each practice as it can vary greatly. Generally speaking, practices owned by publicly held corporations such as Orthodontic Centers of America are often extreme profit-driven practices with virtually no leeway for individual treatment exceptions that are common when treating adolescents and teens. These practices often have extremely rigid policies and are often unwavering in their decisions. On the other hand, smaller privately-owned offices tend to work with patients to help accommodate their individual demands.

One must also take into consideration the child’s fit with the doctor. With such a great need for cooperation throughout treatment and even following treatment with retention, those patients who tend to like their orthodontist are far more likely to comply with his or her treatment demands. If the fee is very low, but the child does not like the practice or feel comfortable with the orthodontist, the treatment result will often be less ideal than if that child had been treated by an orthodontist he or she preferred to be treated by with a slightly higher fee.

A few other factors to be considered are the salient benefits of each practice. These may include a shuttle service to pick your child up from school and return them to school, any mentoring services that are offered, ACT prep courses, and scholarship opportunities. Also take into consideration the average waiting time to see the orthodontist at each visit, the total number of visits that are anticipated (on average ranges between 12-14), the practices bond failure percentage (should be between 2-4%), and the communication skills of the orthodontist and staff.

Finally, it is also important to determine prior to treatment what the office retention policy is, the costs associated with the retention phase of treatment, and the type of retainers used by the orthodontist. It is also important to know the office policy regarding additional fees associated with appliance breakage, appointment failures, or extended treatment length as these fees can have a significant impact on the total treatment cost. Generally privately owned practices will consider each case individually and often waive these fees unless the case is deemed to be extreme by industry standards.

As each and every practice differs greatly regarding these features, it is of prime importance to do a little research online by checking out the practice website and looking for Google reviews of the practice. To see how the practice fee compares to industry averages, go to www.bracesinfo.com/dentalcosts to compare treatment costs with different cities in your region. And remember to ask direct questions regarding the items discussed here at your consultation visit and you should be able to make a good decision regarding your child’s orthodontic care. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at admin@frigoortho.com .