My wife’s getting braces next month, so I thought it might be fun to chronicle the process here. First some background:
My wife is 36 and doesn’t really *need* braces. Her teeth are reasonably straight for someone who never had orthodontic treatment, and she has a nice smile. Her teeth are very healthy, but she does have a crossbite, some overbite and overjet, and some mild crookedness/unevenness, especially in her upper arch. She’s willing to get braces primarily to satisfy my fetish, but also to get a perfect “Hollywood smile” (she admits to being vain).
She’s been doing consultations for a few months now (with a long break for a trip to Virginia to help a cancer-stricken family member). We live in Phoenix, so all her consults have been in the greater Phoenix metro area. She’s very willing to get metal braces, which is my preference for both aesthetics and practical reasons. Metal is also less expensive, though price isn’t a huge consideration since we’ve saved a substantial amount of cash for this and my insurance has an orthodontic benefit.
Practice #1 – Recommended metal braces on upper arch only. This ortho did not realize that she wants to correct her bite along with improving aesthetics. Price was $2700 with treatment time of about a year. She didn’t especially like this practice, finding it a bit “ghetto.”
Practice #2 – This is a small chain that operates in Arizona and Colorado. After some coaching by me, she was aware that she needed to emphasize bite correction in addition to cosmetics. This ortho recommended metal braces top and bottom with elastics. Price was $3300, but with a 20% discount for prepayment. Treatment time was quoted at 18-24 months, which is longer than she really wants to be in braces. She liked this ortho very much, but once again found the practice a bit “ghetto.”
Practice #3 – This ortho recommended metal braces top and bottom with elastics. Price was $4500 and treatment time quoted at about 18 months. She liked this place very much, especially since it has a separate entrance and area for adults and it’s a very nice and modern office. It’s also near my work, so I could attend appointments with her.
Practice #4 – This location is in downtown Phoenix, walking distance from our condo. It definitely caters to adult patients who work downtown. They only have a general dentist, however, not a fully-trained orthodontist. He recommended Fastbraces. Price was $4800 and he could have her finished with treatment in 10-12 months (she liked that part!). But we did some research on Fastbraces and decided it wasn’t a great option for her, since it’s primarily used for cosmetic treatment, and general dentists are certified to use them in weekend seminars.
Practice #5 – This is a very nice practice with three locations in Phoenix. They recommended metal braces top and bottom with elastics. Price was $5800 and treatment time about 18 months. This place odd in that she only saw a treatment coordinator and never the actual orthodontist. She was also deluged with marketing materials, including a couple of books about braces written by the orthodontist. Frankly, the price seemed a little steep in terms of value compared to Practice #3.
That’s where we stand now. She has several more consults scheduled, mainly because we’re making this process fun. She sends me photos and videos after each consult, explaining each one. We’re also documenting the whole process in a YouTube-style video blog.
I’ll update this thread as she continues with the consults.
