Are braces covered by insurance?

They can be. The honest answer: it depends. Every insurer offers different benefits, and every insurer has different standards for what they may include or not include. To make matters even more confusing, oftentimes it is cheaper to use out-of-network benefits than it is to go in-network for the same care.

The best answer we can give you is that we will always work with our patients to try to make braces affordable for everyone that enters our door. Since we do not have set costs and because we charge based on the difficulty of your case, we routinely offer costs lower than than the insurance benefit offers with the deductible.

Are braces painful?

This question is hard to answer for two reasons: technology and pain tolerance. Aligners will almost always be more painful than traditional braces, and Skarin System will almost always be significantly less painful than either aligners or braces, All technologies are not the same in the force they place on the teeth.

Secondly, will your teeth feel sore with braces? Yes. Is the soreness painful? Most would say yes, but others will say no. What we can tell you is that our patients that use Skarin System repeatedly say they feel “pressure” on the teeth, but the teeth do not feel sore. This is why we can say Skarin System as close as it comes to painfree, but we cannot in good conscience say it is totally pain free as each person define pain differently.

Are braces worth it?

That depends on what you hope to accomplish. Do you need braces to live a happy and meaningful life? Absolutely not! Can braces make it easier to keep your teeth clean once the braces are off? Yes. Can braces give you a more aesthetically pleasing smile? Yes. Can having a straight smile increase your overall health in the areas of the body that are connected to the mouth? Yes.

Whether or not those benefits are worth it depends on whether the cost justifies the benefits. All we can say is that we always work with you to try to find a way to make braces more affordable.

Are braces cheaper than Invisalign?

On average, braces are much cheaper than Invisalign. Some practices increase the prices of traditional braces to equalize fees to that Invisalign seems to be an equal price, but dollar for dollar, without special incentives, traditional braces are cheaper.

Are braces tax deductible?

No, braces are generally not tax deductible.

Are braces or Invisalign better?

First we need to define “better.” Invisalign tends to be much more expensive than braces, but Invisalign will almost always be more painful. Invisalign looks clear, but it attracts stains and tartar on the teeth. Metal braces are more noticeable, but they do not stain and generally attract less tartar.

If we are talking treatment speed, mechanically Invisalign can only move teeth as fast as each tray allows them per two weeks. Braces need to be tightened, but they mechanically move teeth much further and much faster every two weeks than Invisalign can, assuming the orthodontist is skilled. Better is ultimately a question of what features you are looking for.

Are braces faster than invisalign?

Mechanically, yes. Invisalign moves teeth only as fast as each tray allows them to, which is a maximum speed of trading out a tray every two weeks. Braces are not limited by trays, and are free to move as far as they can within those two weeks providing they are tightened but they do need to be tightened every month.