Importance, and cost, of braces for an adult?
I had braces twice, once as a kid and once as an adult. (I also had jaw surgery as an adult to completely correct my bite, which the braces alone wouldn’t accomplish). The braces came off about 8 months ago. Yes, they hurt at times, but nothing some Tylenol or wax on the brackets didn’t help. From your pic, it does seem more an aesthetic concern, though I can’t tell anything about your bite (for example, it looks a little to me like you might have a cross-bite, but there’s no way to tell from that photo, and IANAOrthodontist, anyway). When I was orthodontist gave me a free consultation, in which he explained the entire rundown of my issues, and the options available for correcting them. I’d be surprised if you couldn’t find an ortho to do the same. As for insurance, some dental insurance does indeed include a benefit for adult orthodontics (mine did — it didn’t pay for them all, but it did pay a bit towards them, plus got me a discount overall from my ortho), but it’s not very common,
The price of braces varies wildly from place to place and condition to condition. When it’s just for straightening, it can be rather cheap, but add in different treatments for crowding and reorienting, and you start to get up there in price. It also depends on how fast your teeth move. For instance, I was told my braces would be on for 1.5 years. They stayed on for 3, because my teeth moved slowly. I was paying 80 dollars a month, plus some huge upfront fee, but my orthodontist, being a true gentleman, reduced the monthly fee to 10 dollars when he realized the braces would remain on past his estimate. I doubt many orthodontists now live by that honor code. So yeah, internet people using one blurry photo of only your front teeth can tell you nothing except their own personal experience. Personally, I think your teeth look just fine. But hey, you’re the one looking in the mirror.
Find an orthodontist who will give you a free consultation. Then you’ll get an idea of what all the issues are. You don’t have to pay the total cost of braces upfront. I wouldn’t be able to afford mine if that was the case. My dental insurance didn’t cover adult braces, so I’m paying for the whole thing. I gave my orthodontist an initial payment, and now pay $200/month. And there’s no interest on top of that. I don’t know where you’re located, but I get money back when I do my taxes (under medical expenses). My ortho gives me receipts when I make my monthly payments and I send those in with my tax form.
I’m in the process of getting braces, so I can tell you about cost. I’ve been quoted $6000. This is in Berkeley, CA. This does not include the initial consultation ($450), several procedures w/oral surgeons to remove extra teeth ($700) and add’l x-rays they need to do ($150). I bet I don’t get out for under $8500 when all is said and done. The upside is that my insurance pays $1500 (this is a pretty common amount I think), and I get to pay it monthly over 3 years. So $225 a month spreads out the pain. Speaking of pain, braces hurt. I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t have this weird shark teeth condition.
I can’t get your picture to open. Are you happy with how you look? When I was in late middle school, my dentist said I needed braces for aesthetic reasons. My parents disagreed and I was okay with my teeth. When I was in high school, I got a new dentist, who also said I needed braces. Again, my parents disagreed and I couldn’t really see anything wrong with my teeth. During my 20s, I saw two other dentists. I asked them if they thought I needed braces. Both said no. They said that they suspected previous recommendations must have been based on an arrangement of teeth that have mysteriously worked themselves out. I took that to mean that the dentists were looking to put their children through college. Last year, I mentioned the braces situation to an acquaintance who works as a dentist. He said that he felt the response was code for “they wanted to put their kids through university”. Obviously, YMMV and I haven’t seen your photo.
