Why is orthodontic treatment so expensive?
In comparison to all other health care, including general dental care, fees for orthodontic treatment have increased minimally over time. Over the past several decades, the cost of orthodontic health care has risen more slowly than the rate of inflation while, at the same time, health care costs overall have undergone an explosive increase. (In the 1960’s, orthodontic treatment cost about the same as a new mid-sized automobile. Now mid-sized cars cost anywhere from 4 to 5 times as much as an average course of orthodontic treatment.) The orthodontic specialty takes great pride in the technical, clinical and patient management innovations that have made this possible. Today a much broader segment of the population chooses orthodontic treatment because it is affordable and because of the tangible health benefits!
