Difference in cost & treatment time for alignment options (braces)
Difference in cost & treatment time for alignment options (braces)
Added: February 08, 2008 - 7:09 PM
By: Patient Email Withheld, Gilbert, AZ
Need Dentist / Specialist:
Yes
Provide Cost Estimate:
Yes
X-rays Available:
No
Case Summary
Braces / Invisilign
Teeth: 7,10,14,22,23,24,25,26,30
Last Full Mouth X-Ray: 05/2006
Last Cleaning: 05/2006
Case Description
I am trying to sort out my options for the different types of braces available. I have 6 front teeth on the bottom that are crowded, with the most severe being the left 3. Along the top there is a bit of crowding for the front 4 teeth, although it is very minor.
I had a very poor childhood and did not receive proper dental care until becoming an adult. As a result, I have spent a significant portion of my income over the past few years trying to repair my mouth. Most of my "non-smile" teeth are now crowns, and I had to have 2 additional teeth pulled that I will need to have bridged after I go through alignment. I am hoping that having the 2 teeth missing will be a benefit to the timeframe for alignment of the rest?
It's really a shame that dental insurance does not really cover much for people who have damaged teeth...
Anyway, back to the point. I am aware of invisalign, regular front mounted braces and lingual (I think is what they are called) that mount on the backside of the teeth. At this point I am leaning towards the back mounted ones, but I don't know if there is a significant inconvenience, treatment time or cost difference compared to the other types.
The appealing aspect is that they can still affect vertical alignment (which invisalign cannot do) while being discreet. I am a 29 year old executive who is constantly meeting and interacting with other professionals, generally much older than myself, and I don't want the braces to be obvious.
Also, is there a recommended orthodontic discount plan for adults? My company policy does not have orthodontic coverage.
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Reply: Difference in cost & treatment time for alignment options (braces)
added: February 08, 2008 - 8:38 PM
Cost Estimate: $
No Estimate at this time. Additional information required.
Hi there,It sounds like you have done your research on braces. I understand your concern with visibility of braces. I have helped many executives like you to achieve a smile of their dreams. I am a family dentist with emphasis on cosmetic dentistry. I am also a certified Invisalign provider. I would be happy to offer you a complimentary cosmetic consultation where we can talk about your options. It sounds like you have several issues that you would like addressed. It is very important to have a complete treatment plan in place before orthodontic treatment is started to make sure that proper spacing, alignment, etc. are accomplished prior to restorative work (crowns, bridges, implants, etc.) for the optimum result. Please feel free to call my office and let them know about my complimentary consultation offer.
Reply: Difference in cost & treatment time for alignment options (braces)
added: February 09, 2008 - 1:48 PM
Cost Estimate: $
No Estimate at this time. Additional information required.
HI. From your detailed description it sounds like you have a complicated case. You''''re in luck. There is a GREAT orthodontist very close to Gilbert - Dr. Larabbee. Check out his website - AdvancedOrthoOnline.com. He is the highest rated orthodontist in Phoenix! Good Luck. The Team at Biltmore Dental Center.
Reply: Difference in cost & treatment time for alignment options (braces)
added: February 09, 2008 - 3:27 PM
Cost Estimate: $unknown
You may be an invisalign candidate, and you may not. Coming from a high ranked cosmetic practice, my advice to you is to seek all orthodintic care through a orthodontic specialty practice. Any general dentist who offers Invisalign (which I used to until a year ago) will likely talk you into only Invisalign because that is the only solution they can offer. One of the other responses recommends Dr. Larabee, who is indeed a great orthodontist, but I am not aware of any accolades stating that he is the best in the Valley. My practice is about 5 miles from his office and I would also recommend one of the following practices in addition to Dr. Larabee: Dr. Nathan Davis (Power/Guadalupe) who does a new technique that no other orthodontist in the East Valley can provide called Sure Smile...cuts about half the time off of treatment. Dr. Stuart Frost (Southern/Greenfield) who also does the Damon System just like Dr. Larabee, but you will likely find him to be less costly. Dr. Blaine Couser (Baseline/Greenfield) is great orthodontist that all of my patients rave about because of his honesty, friendly office, and is less costly than most offices. There are MANY great orthodontists in the East Valley in addition to these, but these are the ones that I work with most often and have almost no complaints of any kind from my patients...believe me, I hear a lot of complaints about some of the doctors, but they are usually associated with large groups. I hope this help!
Reply: Difference in cost & treatment time for alignment options (braces)
added: February 11, 2008 - 7:16 AM
Cost Estimate: $$4500. Can be as low as $150 a month
Hello. Great job on your research of orthodontic treatment. You use some terms that we don''''t often hear from our average patients!The difficulty with orthodontic treatment is that you will get conflicting information from different dentists depending on what style they use. Many orthodontists will downplay the effectiveness of Invisalign while many dentists will push people away from metal braces.You will need to see what fits best for you. That being said, we do a lot of Invisalign cases in our office and have had amazing results. And we do affect vertical alignment all of the time succesfully. But there are cases that Invisalign isn''''t right for. Your best bet is to meet with a dentist that does a lot of Invisalign and go through a free consultation to see what is possible. If they can''''t complete the case to your expectations then I''''m sure they will refer you to a wonderful orthodontist. All of the orthodontists listed in previous responses are excellent.Good luck with your search and feel free to call or e-mail me with any questions you may have.Kris Heap DDSwww.lakesidesmiles.comP.S. - I just wrote a blog about Invisalign you may be interested in: http://www.lakesidesmiles.com/blog/Gilbert_Invisalign_Clear_Braces.htm
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