Anonymous wrote:21,000 braces for three kids.

Possible if did 2 phase treatment and went to the most $$$$ office in the area.

She's crazy. We're doing Invisalign with a Diamond provider or whatever they're called, two phases, and it's only $3800 total, minus our dental insurance allowance. Maybe surgery? But even then, I find it hard to believe all three kids would need it.

She just wants us to think she's rich.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t consider myself middle class if I was struggling to cover something as basic as braces.

Braces are not that cheap. Have have three in braces and it’s about $21000 in Arlington.

Anything is expensive when you multiply it by 3 and do the highest end version.

For one kid, standard braces without serious bite or jaw issues should be around 3k in the DC area. Could go up to 5k if you do two rounds, maybe more with a palate expander.

21,000 braces for three kids.

Possible if did 2 phase treatment and went to the most $$$$ office in the area.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t consider myself middle class if I was struggling to cover something as basic as braces.

Braces are not that cheap. Have have three in braces and it’s about $21000 in Arlington.

$7k each for braces? Liar.

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t consider myself middle class if I was struggling to cover something as basic as braces.

Braces are not that cheap. Have have three in braces and it’s about $21000 in Arlington.

Anonymous wrote:No one has mentioned payment plans. We put down a deposit, then pay $62 a month.

We are middle class and gearing up for braces and this is our plan. I *just* finished paying off my student loans so the money for braces is coming from the money that was previously allocated for that. Also we are shopping around to see who will offer the best combination of convenience and financial plan.

I actually struggle to understand how OP is really struggling to afford braces if they are truly UMC. We live in DC on an income of 150k -- we aren't poor but we are far from rich. And while I'm not thrilled by the expense of braces, it doesn't feel like some insurmountable burden. It's a trade off. If we weren't doing braces, the money would either go into savings or purchase something practical like a cargo e-bike or some household stuff that is getting old. We value the braces more because our kid's teeth are very crooked and she feels self-conscious about them, and this is something we can do that will help her for the rest of her life. Yes, it's vanity, but confidence and appearance matter in our culture. We know we will not be able to buy her the best of everything (we budget for clothes, she's in public, we take modest vacations, etc.), but with just a little planning we can get her a smile she feels good about.

I struggle to understand why a family with twice our income would find this so difficult. Can't you just cut back on dining out or take a few less extravagant vacations for the next few years?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Yep. This.

If we had universal health care, we'd all get it!

And we’d have long waits for terrible healthcare.

No one has mentioned payment plans. We put down a deposit, then pay $62 a month.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Military families. It is a perk.

Military or Tricare does not pay except rare exceptions.

Actually, the Tricare Dental Program covers 50% of orthodontia, up to $1750 lifetime allowance. Not huge, but a nice benefit.

Yes, but that's not free, and its similar to any other dental insurance. We have tricare and its not covered. I asked. We have private insurance as retirees and ours paid I think around $2K.

Why on earth would Tricare cover braces? It's for medical care. Tricare DENTAL, however, DOES cover it 50% up to $1750 (not $2k). It's literally online; stop claiming otherwise and giving readers bad information. And no, it's not free, but it's SUPER cheap, much less than any commercial insurance. We pay $29.98 a month for the entire family.

https://tricare.mil/FAQs/Dental/TDP_Covered

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s free. Middle class are just tax cattle. Rich dodge taxes, poor & immigrants get all the gimmes.

Nothing in your comment applies to people paying for braces. Are you a bot or just an incredibly ignorant person

How is the poster an ignorant person when the title of the post is "How do so many lower income families afford braces for their teens?" and the person responds, "poor & immigrants get all the gimmes". Obviously, the poster answered - they DON'T PAY. That is the point of this thread. More and more there is a growing sentiment that middle class are the tax cattle.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Military families. It is a perk.

Military or Tricare does not pay except rare exceptions.

Actually, the Tricare Dental Program covers 50% of orthodontia, up to $1750 lifetime allowance. Not huge, but a nice benefit.

Yes, but that's not free, and its similar to any other dental insurance. We have tricare and its not covered. I asked. We have private insurance as retirees and ours paid I think around $2K.

Anonymous wrote:We’re a two parent house, college educated, decent careers. Even with supposed good insurance we really struggled to pay for braces for our two oldest. My youngest daughter plays on a cheap YMCA sports league and it seems basically every lower income teen her age has braces. Meanwhile we’re still saving $ to put her in braces. Where do they all find the $ for orthodontia? I’m at a loss as to how this is possible.

OP, why does this bother you? Do you feel you deserve the braces more?

9:42, it's not true that Medicaid only covers in severe cases. As a foster mom, I've repeatedly seen braces approved for normal overbite type things in DC.

But as someone else said, just because Medicaid dentistry is more generous than private, doesn't mean you'd want Medicaid for health care... or that they'd rather be in your shoes, financially, than their own

Anonymous wrote:

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

Yep. This.

If we had universal health care, we'd all get it!

Depends on the state. In some states Medicaid and CHIP cover them.