Most children do not have naturally straight teeth, and braces can help to correct crooked teeth and misaligned bites. Unfortunately, many insurance companies do not cover braces, and so many families cannot afford this expensive orthodontic treatment. Consider your options before you rule out the possibility of braces for your children. Show
Average CostOn average, a full braces treatment costs between $1,800 and $6,500, according to the Cleveland Clinic 2. Braces treatment can take over a year to complete, and often requires many long appointments. The estimated cost of braces for your child might come as a shock. SignificanceBefore you rule out braces as a luxury treatment, consider the significance of orthodontic treatment. Braces can correct moderately to severely crooked teeth, as well as underbites and overbites. Straight teeth can promote better self-confidence, and they also hold up better in the long term, according to Kids Health. Furthermore, severe overbites or underbites left uncorrected can cause jaw pain. Proper orthodontic treatment can prevent your child from experiencing mouth pain or discomfort in later life. Consult your insurance company to find out whether it will cover braces, and how much help it will provide. If your insurance company cannot help you afford braces, consider waiting until your cash flow situation improves. The structure of treatment and the benefits of braces remain the same for children of any age, so you can afford to wait a few years before beginning your child’s orthodontic treatment. If you do not think you will be able to afford braces at all in the near future, consider alternatives. Smiles Change LivesApply for the Smiles Change Lives program. This program provides reduced-cost braces treatments to children between the ages of 11 and 18 in the United States. Elligible candidates must demonstrate financial need as well as well-cared for teeth that require a single phase orthodontic treatment. The program provides orthodontic treatment for $500 or less to all accepted applicants. Dental SchoolsDental schools often offer reduced cost braces treatments in order to train new orthodontists. Consult your dentist for information about nearby dental schools, and then inquire about reduced cost treatment at those schools. Experienced orthodontists supervise all orthodontists-in-training during treatment. Braces treatment might take longer at dental schools, warns Kids Health 1. Photo Credits
In these tough economic times, it's getting harder and harder to justify the expense of orthodontic braces. If you're lucky enough to have dental insurance which covers orthodontic treatment, you may wind up only paying a small percentage of the total cost. But if you don't have dental insurance, and are not on any sort of dental plan, the expense can be daunting. The average cost for 24 months (2 years) of metal braces is between $3,500 and $7,000, depending upon where you live. Costs are usually higher in urban areas (versus rural areas). There are several things you can do to lower the cost of orthodontic treatment, such as: Call Your Insurance Company - If you have health insurance, it may include dental treatment and possibly also orthodontic treatment. Most health plans don't pay for orthodontic treatment for people over 18 years old, but they do cover children under age 18. Check with your company's benefits administrator, or call your insurance company directly. If you need jaw surgery or other facial surgery, some of that cost may be covered under your medical health plan instead of your dental plan. Work Out a Payment Plan – When you get braces, you usually pay a down payment of anywhere from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, and then spread the rest of the expense over one or two years (like a car payment). When you consult with an orthodontist, find out whether any additional financing may be possible at no interest or low interest. Many orthodontists are willing to work with their patients, as long as they are getting paid some minimum amount of money each month. Some orthodontists may offer you a large discount for paying the entire fee upfront. While this is tempting, I wouldn't recommend it. Most treatment lasts two years. In that time, if you move or if the dental office closes, you may not be able to get back the balance of the money you paid. Go to a Dentist Instead of an Orthodontist – Dentists usually charge less for braces then orthodontists. However, you need to understand that general dentists don't have the extra years of training in tooth movement that orthodontists do. If you are considering getting braces done by a general dentist, be sure to ask how many cases of braces he has done, and whether your case is complicated. It is often better to have a general dentist do “simple” tooth movement and leave the complicated treatment to an orthodontist. If your case is very complicated, it's possible that your dentist may not have enough experience to accomplish what must be done. Don't be afraid to ask questions! Join a Dental Plan – Dental plans are not insurance plans; they are discount plans. You pay a monthly fee and can be treated by the dentists or orthodontists who participate in the plan. The rates are typically much less than treatment you would get outside of the plan. There are usually restrictions, however. For example, some plans will not cover orthodontic treatment that is already in progress. That means you need to join the dental plan before you get your braces. If you already have braces on, the treatment would not be covered. Some dental plans have a waiting period of several months to a year before you can start orthodontic treatment. So do your homework and compare several dental plans before you choose one. One good place to start is with DentalPlans.com. But do your math and make sure that the premium or service fee that you pay doesn't cost more than the treatment itself! Search for a Discount Dental Group – Many areas across the nation have large chains of dental groups. For example, in the Western United States there is a group called Western Dental, which has many locations and offers a wide variety of treatments. Groups like this often charge less than individual non-affiliated dentists and orthodontists. The disadvantage is that you may not always be treated by the same orthodontist, because several doctors practice at the same location. Investigate a Dental School – Is there a dental school in your area? If so, call and inquire whether they do braces for a discounted fee. Dental schools often offer low cost orthodontic services, which are performed by orthodontists in training. They are supervised by experienced orthodontists who are their professors, so there is very little risk involved. The American Association of Orthodontists has a list of accredited schools on this page.
Published: 30 April 2022
 If you need to straighten your teeth, but you don't have any money, you might be looking for free braces. Let's not sugarcoat it — it's going to be difficult to find braces that are completely free, but it's not impossible. In this article we'll go over the following information: If you need braces we hope this article helps you find them for free, or as close to free as possible. How much do braces cost?Braces are an expensive treatment, but with a wide range of prices. There are lots of specialists and specific tools and materials that go into planning and executing treatment. You can have a quick look at the table below to see the costs for different types of orthodontic treatment:
Before you spend a lot of money on braces, keep in mind that having crooked teeth isn't necessarily a bad thing, and probably isn't negatively impacting your oral health. You can read more about what dentists think about the overuse of braces in this HuffPost article. Free braces for kidsIf you're looking for free braces for your children, or you yourself are under 18, your task has suddenly become much easier. Here are a few ways to find free braces for kids: MedicaidThe first thing you should do is find out if you are on Medicaid, or eligible for Medicaid. Medicaid is essentially free healthcare provided under the Affordable Care Act for those whose income falls under the Federal Poverty Level. It can be confusing even just to find out if you are eligible for Medicaid, so the best way to do so hassle-free is to contact a healthcare navigator. They will ask you about your income, and the number of people in your household, and let you know if you or your children are eligible for Medicaid. They can then help you sign up for Medicaid. You can do all of this on your own, but the process can be confusing, and it's easy to mess up the health insurance application. You can find a healthcare navigator near you by going to this page: https://localhelp.healthcare.gov/ and entering your zip code. Medicaid covers braces for children if it is considered medically necessary. That's why it's so important to find out if your children are eligible for this program. You can read more about Medicaid and dental care in our full Medicaid dental guide. Dental insuranceThe next thing to consider is dental insurance. There are many plans that offer coverage for braces for children who need them. You can find out more about dental insurance for braces in our guide here. Smile for a LifetimeSmile for a Lifetime is a charitable nonprofit that provides braces and orthodontic care to children from low-income families, as well as children in foster care or other less stable living situations. Children and young adults between the ages of 8 and 19 may be eligible for this program. There is a $20 application fee, and later, there is another fee of $480. There are other qualifications that are required — which you can read more about on the Smile for a Lifetime website. You can see them in action in the video below: Smiles Change LivesChildren and young adults between 10 and 18 years of age can get braces from Smiles Change Lives, another charitable nonprofit organization. This program helps children from low-income families access orthodontic treatment at a lower cost. The application process also requires a small fee, and the other requirements include:
How to get braces for free for adultsFinding free orthodontic care for adults is a much more difficult task than it is finding it for children. Your options are much more limited, but even so, there are some opportunities out there like Medicaid and free braces programs for adults. Let's have a look at some of them now. How to get free braces with MedicaidIn a very small number of cases, adults may get free braces from Medicaid. First, you have to qualify for Medicaid. If you do, then you have to be able to prove that your malocclusion (another term for a misaligned bite and crooked teeth) is negatively affecting not just your mouth, but your overall health. If you can prove this, then braces could be covered under the health insurance component of Medicaid — not under dental. Examples of health problems that could be fixed with orthodontic treatment include:
Other free braces programs for adultsThere aren't any nationwide free braces programs for adults. You'll have to look around near you to see what's available. Oftentimes, going to an orthodontic college may be your best bet. They won't offer completely free care, but they may provide considerable discounts. For example, Boston University School of Dental Medicine offers affordable orthodontic fees as low as $160/month for adults. They also offer a 10% discount for families with multiple members being treated. You can find dental and orthodontic schools in your area by using this search page provided by the American Dental Association. Other ways to finance your braces
Okay, so it's pretty clear that if you're an adult, and you want braces to fix cosmetic problems, or bite problems that aren't affecting your overall health, you're going to have a difficult time finding free braces. If you have some money, however, there are other options that we highly recommend you take a look at:
ConclusionFinding free braces for kids is possible if your child is on Medicaid and needs braces for medical reasons. There are also some nonprofits that offer free braces to children who come from low-income backgrounds. If you are an adult looking for free braces, it's going to be more difficult. You may be able to get free braces from Medicaid if your dental problems are causing health problems that can be fixed with braces. Otherwise, you can look at programs offered by dental and orthodontic schools, or consider other financing options. FAQsCan you get braces for free?Maybe. Children are more likely to be eligible for free braces than adults are, especially from charitable programs or Medicaid. Adults may be eligible for braces from Medicaid. But the better bet is to look for other ways to finance dental care, like discount plans, payment plans, or dental schools. How do you get free braces with Medicaid?Children can qualify for free braces with Medicaid if it's medically necessary. Adults can only get free braces with Medicaid if they have a health problem that braces could solve. If you have Medicaid, give your healthcare provider or insurance provider that you have through Medicaid a call to ask about your options. What is the cheapest price for braces?The cheapest braces are at-home clear aligners which can cost less than $1,000. This type of orthodontic treatment is meant only for mild to moderate cosmetic changes. How do you get braces removed for free?If you already have braces, there is no separate cost for getting them removed. Go back to the orthodontist who gave you your braces, and they will take them off for you. Are there free braces programs near me?You might be able to find dental and orthodontic colleges near you that offer discounted braces and orthodontic care. Occasionally, clinics may pop up offering treatment as well. Go to your local health center to stay up to date on offers near you.
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How do you get braces when you cant afford them?
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