How do so many lower income families afford braces for their teens?

[Anonymous]

Still waiting for the name of the ortho doing braces for $2,500.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They probably get it for “free” (#yourepayingforit).

Yep. This.

Ah... some things on DCUM never change...

It's the illegals and the blacks that are holding you down. Got it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Still waiting for the name of the ortho doing braces for $2,500.

I don't need them for my kid so haven't done the research but I just checked Groupon and there are a ton of dental practices offering $2k credit after one appointment etc for orthodontics. Of course there maybe a ton of fine lrint but clearly some are trying to get new practices started or just get people in the door and maybe somebody can really get that deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They probably get it for “free” (#yourepayingforit).

Yep. This.

Ah... some things on DCUM never change...

It's the illegals and the blacks that are holding you down. Got it.

I missed where the race of the YMCA youth were identified (they weren't).
Maybe examine your own motives and biases.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in a blue collar household where money was very tight. My parents stretched every penny in the grocery budget, our house was shabby, one older car, and maybe one new school outfit every year, the rest being hand-me-downs from cousins, etc. The family income was just enough for no assistance from the state or federal government. Yet both my sibling and I had braces through middle school. My parents considered it a necessity. They used part of their meager savings for it, and it was the only thing they went into a little debt for.

I'm enormously grateful. My sib and I would have looked like beavers with our giant overbites. All you can see in our elementary school pictures are giant teeth set in tiny mouths. Both my parents grew up extremely poor, and had a lot of dental problems (and pain) stemming from childhood poverty, so I think that is a lot of the reason they made sure dental care was something we couldn't cut back on.

My point is, you never know how families might be budgeting to pay for braces; I don't think you can assume they are getting them for free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They probably get it for “free” (#yourepayingforit).

Okay, how? I don’t want to pay another $7k.

The same way they qualify for their food stamps. They don’t work.

You are simply evil.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:See the link above. There are shady dentists that will deem braces to be medically neccessary and therefore covered by medicaid.

But this seems too widespread to be some isolated shady scheme. There are maybe 100 plus low-income young teens in the league currently in braces.

Are you all seriously begrudging children braces?? What sort of life do u lead that you sit and calculate what and who you deem worthy of services? Get a life. Be of service. Be useful please!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think part of the answer lies in OP's question itself. She's asking how families of TEENS are affording braces.

As another PP pointed out, best practice is now to have the orthodonia completed before a child hits that age. Third through fifth grades, mostly.

So, these families are saving until their children are older than the ideal, because they DON'T just have $3K sitting around. It took them a while to save enough to pay. Hence the beater cars, etc.

Maybe if your kid needs extensive care, yes. My kid just has a slight overbite and the dentist and ortho didn't want to see him until he was turning 13.

My teen just got braces we are paying out of pocket for and she was told to be seen at 13. Her sister did 2 phases age 9 and 14. I think we paid for a nice vacation or two. I am happy those other children are getting braces. My youngest brother never did and it affected his self-esteem and job prospects tremendously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a blue collar household where money was very tight. My parents stretched every penny in the grocery budget, our house was shabby, one older car, and maybe one new school outfit every year, the rest being hand-me-downs from cousins, etc. The family income was just enough for no assistance from the state or federal government. Yet both my sibling and I had braces through middle school. My parents considered it a necessity. They used part of their meager savings for it, and it was the only thing they went into a little debt for.

I'm enormously grateful. My sib and I would have looked like beavers with our giant overbites. All you can see in our elementary school pictures are giant teeth set in tiny mouths. Both my parents grew up extremely poor, and had a lot of dental problems (and pain) stemming from childhood poverty, so I think that is a lot of the reason they made sure dental care was something we couldn't cut back on.

My point is, you never know how families might be budgeting to pay for braces; I don't think you can assume they are getting them for free.

Same here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a blue collar household where money was very tight. My parents stretched every penny in the grocery budget, our house was shabby, one older car, and maybe one new school outfit every year, the rest being hand-me-downs from cousins, etc. The family income was just enough for no assistance from the state or federal government. Yet both my sibling and I had braces through middle school. My parents considered it a necessity. They used part of their meager savings for it, and it was the only thing they went into a little debt for.

I'm enormously grateful. My sib and I would have looked like beavers with our giant overbites. All you can see in our elementary school pictures are giant teeth set in tiny mouths. Both my parents grew up extremely poor, and had a lot of dental problems (and pain) stemming from childhood poverty, so I think that is a lot of the reason they made sure dental care was something we couldn't cut back on.

My point is, you never know how families might be budgeting to pay for braces; I don't think you can assume they are getting them for free.

Same here

+1

I got braces, my brothers didn't. I know my parents were on a payment plan, but don't know the total cost.

[Anonymous]

I paid for my own braces when I was a college student, paying my own way waiting tables. I found a local orthodontist who offered an interest-free payment plan. It was $130 a month for about three years. I'm sure if you look around, you could find something like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all dental insurance covers orthodontia so you can’t assume insurance will cover a portion.

However, if the parents are divorced and each have dental insurance that does cover it, it can be almost free.

Insurance companies won’t give double coverage.

We did it. Each insurance company paid so braces were a total of $500 each parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all dental insurance covers orthodontia so you can’t assume insurance will cover a portion.

However, if the parents are divorced and each have dental insurance that does cover it, it can be almost free.

Insurance companies won’t give double coverage.

We did it. Each insurance company paid so braces were a total of $500 each parent.

And they both knew the other company was also paying? We were told only one company would cover.

[Anonymous]

OP, why do you care so much?

And why are the rest of you the orthodontia police?

[Anonymous]

My sons braces cost 1200$. How much is your quote?