The Captain
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Post by The Captain on May 20, 2015 12:28:29 GMT -5
So took DD to an orthodontist yesterday to be evaluated for braces.
Yep, no surprise. Kiddo needs them. Timing is right. The orthodontist and case manager (?!?) did a good job of explaining the whole process to us.
Now it just getting a full treatment plan mapped up and the appointments mapped out.
The surprising thing? They are willing to back load the billings so I can up my flex spend next year. I though I screwed up big time by not upping it this year, but they are willing to put the insurance portion toward the initial installments.
So...railroad tracks, here we go.
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jelloshots4all
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Post by jelloshots4all on May 20, 2015 12:39:55 GMT -5
Does your insurance cover much of it? I have 2 in braces right now.
My insurance covers $1000 per kid (can you tell I am focused on insurance right now?)
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The Captain
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Post by The Captain on May 20, 2015 12:48:59 GMT -5
Insurance will cover $1500.
Sorry you have two in braces!!! Yet another reason for one and done. Since DD looks so much like me I told DH she probably got my teeth as well, so we'd better start saving for braces as soon as she was born!
Total cost of treatment will be between $5200-$5800 depending on the number of visits and how long it takes to get her teeth properly aligned. That includes temporary and invisalign retainers.
THEN well have to get her peg tooth bonded temporarily until she's old enough for a permanent crown. Yea, that will be extra.
*Sigh*.
Could have been far worse, at least (well except for the one peg tooth) she has all her teeth. I'm missing three (in addition to a peg tooth) so I needed three bridges and 6 crowns. Can't even begin to imagine how much money my folks put into my mouth. Both my brother and sister had perfect teeth, thank goodness!
Soooo not looking forward to this.
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mroped
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Post by mroped on May 20, 2015 12:55:53 GMT -5
Our daughter just got off the braces like two days ago. Now it's time for the retainer for God knows how long. We paid all out of pocket in a manner of speaking. For the first round I had just finished some work for the orthodontist and his bill came about $200 short of mine to him. For the second round the man refused payement so I just fixed his brick patio arround the pool. Works for me!
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on May 20, 2015 12:56:27 GMT -5
aw, so Invisalign as total treatment path wasn't an option? that's too bad. good luck to you guys throughout the process!
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The Captain
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Post by The Captain on May 20, 2015 12:59:09 GMT -5
Nope. I guess we're going to need to use rubberbands and do more shifting than in practical with invisalign.
At least she won't need headgear.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on May 20, 2015 13:00:14 GMT -5
bummer. but yes, very valid. headgear sucks to deal with!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2015 13:11:37 GMT -5
I don't think they do a lot of head gear any more... Does she need expansion? Phases? ... I'd interview a few honestly. As husband said, daughter just got out of them. Monday! Retainer tomorrow. She did need some bands at the end, but again that was relatively small part... They have a lot of new methods. Make sure your guy is utilizing them!
My guy charges up front per phase. It doesn't matter how many appointments... Now if you did break more than a reasonable amount there might be a charge? We didn't so I'm not sure what that might have been..
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2015 14:06:54 GMT -5
DD has been seeing an orthodontist since she was 7. She had major crowding. Luckilly Dh changed jobs between phase 1 and 2. So we used insurance twice. Both phases were an upfront price, regardless of number of appointments. In phase 1, he underestimated things pretty badly. It was supposed to last 9 - 12 months and lasted over 2 years.
She is at the rubber band stage of phase 2 now. He thinks she will be done by Christmas (she will be 13).
We bought her a water pik thing when she first started. Dentist says she is keeping everything clean and she won't have any stains.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on May 20, 2015 14:17:55 GMT -5
My DS wore headgear for a few months. He also had a screw inserted into his jaw, and oral surgery before the braces went on.
When he's done, we'll have spent almost 10% of our gross income for one year on #1's braces.
We still have two more to go. Though, I'm anticipating #2 should be less. DH didn't need braces, but I think he should have gotten them, given how his teeth have shifted as an adult.
We aren't going to know what to do with ourselves once we have access to all the money we are currently spending on our kids..
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The Captain
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Post by The Captain on May 20, 2015 14:21:38 GMT -5
I don't think they do a lot of head gear any more... Does she need expansion? Phases? ... I'd interview a few honestly. As husband said, daughter just got out of them. Monday! Retainer tomorrow. She did need some bands at the end, but again that was relatively small part... They have a lot of new methods. Make sure your guy is utilizing them! My guy charges up front per phase. It doesn't matter how many appointments... Now if you did break more than a reasonable amount there might be a charge? We didn't so I'm not sure what that might have been.. Umm, sounds like you know a bit more about this than I do. According to the orthodontist who was at our old dentists' practice DD is a pretty simple case. The orthodontist we saw comes recommended by several of DD's friends (parents). She (the orthodontist) is apparently pretty well known in the area. They use 3d imaging to map out a treatment plan and do have several methods available. I'm guessing they are matching up the treatment based on DD's age and needs? Since I'm not an expert I'll defer to them. The Dr. not in our dental plan but I don't think that will make a difference. There were two kids in the office with headgear on, which is why I mentioned it. I'd actually forgotten about those torture devices! They were younger (like maybe 10?), so maybe that's more appropriate in some cases? DD just needs some teeth shifted to make space for her final adult tooth to come in and her bite aligned so her molars match up correctly. In some ways we lucked out because she does have all her teeth.
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The Captain
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Post by The Captain on May 20, 2015 14:22:21 GMT -5
DD has been seeing an orthodontist since she was 7. She had major crowding. Luckilly Dh changed jobs between phase 1 and 2. So we used insurance twice. Both phases were an upfront price, regardless of number of appointments. In phase 1, he underestimated things pretty badly. It was supposed to last 9 - 12 months and lasted over 2 years. She is at the rubber band stage of phase 2 now. He thinks she will be done by Christmas (she will be 13). We bought her a water pik thing when she first started. Dentist says she is keeping everything clean and she won't have any stains. Ohhh good idea! I'll have to get her one!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2015 15:48:17 GMT -5
Sounds like she comes well recommended by satisfied customers! That is good. Good luck Our path was similar pooks, two phases. We actually did two expansions, twice braces, an in between Permanant retainer.... So happy we are at the end
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on May 20, 2015 16:06:03 GMT -5
I know they are expensive (and time-consuming with all of those appointments), but in YDS' case, absolutely worth every penny ($6600). He had extra teeth (tucked up way inside his gums and in his upper palate), still needed expanders, and it was a three year process. Until his teeth were being worked on, he NEVER smiled an open lip smile in any picture. He was sooo self-conscious. Unlike most kids, once he got the braces on, he started to smile "real" smiles. He now has a beautiful, ready, smile. Now it's my turn. I am having two teeth pulled next week and getting a partial bridge while I decide whether I want, and whether I can afford!!!, implants.
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cktc
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Post by cktc on May 20, 2015 16:16:22 GMT -5
I have Damon braces right now. They are self ligating so you don't need all the little bands, and have fewer visits to the orthodontist.
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debthaven
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Post by debthaven on May 20, 2015 16:18:53 GMT -5
All four of my kids had / have braces. The first three were better covered than the last one (because I changed jobs / insurance in between).
Adjusting the billing doesn't surprise me at all, but maybe it's rarer there?!
I never had any adjustments for the billing for my kids' braces, but we are better covered here in France.
But my teeth were a total mess. I changed dentists 1.5 years ago. My new dentist (who has been a very close friend's dentist and DH's dentist for many years) absolutely takes my insurance into account. He did the lion's share of work in 2014, and some in early 2015. There's more planned to be billed in 2016. I obviously have to pay OOP but he does his best to minimize the amount.
He told me to schedule the next crowns as of Sept 2015, and he will bill me in Jan 2016. I don't feel comfortable with that so I plan to schedule them for Nov / Dec 2015, and be billed in Jan 2016. But my work is crowns, I don't have a timeline like kids with braces do.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2015 16:20:32 GMT -5
I don't know what kind we had, but it was also ones that didn't use many bands at all... Just the last few months... When the bands had to go from top to bottom. (and I don't think it would have been months if she was better about the bands! Glad that was short part...)
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jelloshots4all
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Post by jelloshots4all on May 20, 2015 16:45:03 GMT -5
My ortho recommended against invisalign for my daughter (son has to have traditional as we go for oral surgery next week to "find" a front tooth imbedded in his gum). He said kids are not religious enough about wearing them. And I have 2 friends whom had them as adults. One took twice as long as her sister in law with traditional braces, and the other quit the plan completely and his teeth are still bad.
I knew how horrible I was about wearing my retainers as a kid after braces (and had to dumpster dive in the garbage after tossing it with my lunch tray), so I took no chances with my DD. Cement those suckers in!!
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debthaven
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Post by debthaven on May 20, 2015 16:50:39 GMT -5
My DS2 also had to have surgery for an embedded tooth that was horizontal rather than vertical, and blocking those vertical teeth from descending. He had it done at the same time as something else (tonsils?). It was a miracle that the surgeons managed to coordinate both!
But I'm very surprised at how many posters here have kids who needed surgery for their teeth (apart from wisdom teeth). I thought it was very rare.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on May 20, 2015 16:58:58 GMT -5
We were waiting for her mouth to be ready to put daughter in braces. We had a check-in appointment and the orthodontist tells her, "Not yet" and asks how she felt hearing that. She informed him that it made her "feel like a beaver without a dental plan."
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Deleted
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Braces...
May 20, 2015 17:47:30 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Deleted on May 20, 2015 17:47:30 GMT -5
For those who needed surgery, what ages were kids?
Most people don't realize how early you should have an ortho consult.
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on May 20, 2015 19:51:33 GMT -5
My DD#1 had to have head gear for 9 months.
Mine are four years apart; I managed to have their orthodontics done at separate times.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2015 19:56:12 GMT -5
I read a little.. Is headgear mainly for overbites?
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steph08
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Post by steph08 on May 20, 2015 20:32:18 GMT -5
I had braces for 13 months during 7th and 8th grade. I did have rubber bands, but don't know what all needed to be fixed. I liked braces and getting to pick the band colors every month. It has been 17 (holy shit!) years since I got them off and I still wear my retainers probably 3-4 nights/week if not more. My teeth feel weird if I don't wear them for a few days in a row. I might be weird but a friend from junior high had braces and didn't wear her retainers and by high school, her teeth looked terrible again. I'll be damned if I let that happen! I love water piks, great idea for your DD. They also make a portable one if she is away from home.
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on May 20, 2015 22:21:30 GMT -5
I read a little.. Is headgear mainly for overbites? In my kid's case, it was both an overbite and the top teeth sticking way out of her mouth--could barely close her lips around them.
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jelloshots4all
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Post by jelloshots4all on May 23, 2015 11:15:11 GMT -5
Debt, my son has a horizontal front tooth he is having surgery on this week. He is 11. How was the outcome?
I am going to be a nervous nelly when he goes under.
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