charlottyb

We have 2 kids with braces.
They will cost $6500 when we are finished.
My husband is in the Navy here and has good benefits. The dental benfits say they cover 50% up to a max $2500. So beware even if it says a % there will be a max amount.
You can pay on a monthly basis, thats what we do as we have 2 having treatment.

iaink

I've a friend who works in the nuclear fuel business, and his benefits cover up to 5k for ortho. Bastard... Shortly after he joined the benefits changes for new hires. Benefits packages are under pressure all over.
I do hear that military/ federal jobs have pretty comprehensive packages still... dont know how true it is though.

iaink

It may be more tax efficient to pay for it all at once in order to clear the 2% of earning hurdle that allows you to claim it as a tax loss.

singingringingtree

No me, 18mths work, top and bottom braces.

Almost Canadian

I have also heard horror stories (and some from obsessive parents) that suggest that little Johnny or Felicity will never be able to eat properly unless their jaws are broken and reset so that their teeth are perfectly aligned.

How absence of perfectly aligned teeth prevents one from eating Timbits is completely lost on me

To the OP, I would say whatever will be, will be and all that but Iaink's advice about shopping around is very good. My dentist understands that my family do not want perfection, just good dental care.

stokesey

So that was on UK private (not NHS treatment)?

Piff Poff

My Kid spent a year with an Appliance (to hopefully not need full braces) at a cost of $1800. She does need braces at a further cost of $3300, but he (dentist) did say he would reduce the cost for us to $2800 and we could reduce that a bit more by just having the top done and leaving the bottom.

Not a single penny of Ortho is covered under our group benefits, which usually covers 80% of preventative dental care.

I also know from personal experience that unless the bottom teeth are REALLY REALLY bad and are REALLY noticeable when you smile, it's almost pointless to get them done as they are more likely to return to a similar position once the brace is off.

stokesey

Thanks for the replies, on the face of it he has very good teeth, obviously not perfect as one of his bottom teeth and back teeth are not totally straight, he was borderline requiring a brace. I'll see if the dentist has any other options (I had 4 teeth removed instead of a brace)!

I'll take the advice and shop around, the figures your all quoting are quite scary though, makes you appreciate how good we have it on the NHS!

Cheers,

Stuart.

singingringingtree

Unfortunatelly private for me. My son had a quote for £3,000 because he didn't have a serious enough problem for NHS to pay, that was for a year's treatment, just bottom teeth.

adele

I had fixed braces on my upper teeth in the UK on the NHS as a teenager.

My coverage for ortho here is 50%, with a $2,000 lifetime limit. I get 100% basic dental coverage and 60% coverage towards major restorative services.

Lorry1

Oh OK. Under 16 is free in the UK on the NHS, under 10 I think is free here for dentist only not orthodontic!

iaink

Both my kids are under 10... there is no free dentistry in general , but via the schools the health unit has some minimal dental screening of kids. I wouldnt rely on it much to be honest, anything work covered would be near the rocky bottom of the treatment pool options.

mardyarse

My son was 11 when he had his fitted. He has another year to go so 2 years in total. He has had turbos, stoppers, wideners, elastic bands you name it we've paid for it.

All in all just over $6000 and guess what now my teenage daughter's overbite needs adjusting and her teeth are growing inwards. Just had the quote back for that with invasalign (invisible braces for the image conscious teen) and another $6000.

BTW we have no insurance. Just gonna take a trip down to the money tree at the bottom of the garden otherwise known as a line of credit!! Orthodontist is a licence to print money!! However saying that he is stunningly gorgeous with flawless teeth, the level of work is very high but us Brits just arent' used to paying so much.

Almost Canadian

Until he gets them knocked out playing hockey or after going after someone's girlfriend

xxdb

Bad news mate,

My wife was due to get an orthodontic operation in the UK which was scheduled four months after our move out here. It was fully covered and paid for by the NHS.

On getting here the equivalent was not only NOT covered but it is going to cost in the region of $30K.

In other words it's not happening.

Orthodontics in particular is one part of the pie where things aren't quite so rosy in Canada.