A surveyby The Wealthy Dentist Web site has found that American and Canadiangeneral dentists charge an average of $4,350 for braces, whileorthodontists charge an average of $5,141. The poll received 50responses.
One Pennsylvania dentist reported that he was able to do Invisalignat a lower cost, but only if treatment involved minor movement and tookonly a couple months. Additionally, an Ohio dentist argued thatwell-trained general practitioners “are fully capable of providingorthodontic services.”
Meanwhile, an Illinois-based orthodontist made the case for thehigher cost of braces done under an orthodontist’s care by saying, “Mycases are treated with better and more individualized diagnosis, andfinish with better facial aesthetics, better occlusion, a better smileline, and better function.”
Location was also a factor in the results, with braces costing higheron average in the Northeast, Pacific, and Canada. Additionally,suburban dentists reported that their fees for braces have increased tomatch their urban counterparts’.
Additionally, some orthodontists felt braces should cost more. OneColorado orthodontist responded that the average price should be between$7,500 and $8,500 based on inflation, and that managed care practicesand general dentists were driving the prices down.
A 2007 Journal of Clinical Orthodonticsorthodontic practice study on the average cost of braces in the UnitedStates found that the cost of comprehensive treatment for orthodonticsaveraged $5,354 for adults and $4,914 for children.
