Braces and aligner cost calculator · 5 types · Monthly payment · Free
What will braces or aligners cost me?
Choose the type of treatment and how involved your case is, add your orthodontic benefit if you have one, and see a rough range for the total and for a monthly payment.
Rough monthly payment
$125–$292
for 24 months, with no interest
- Total fee
- $3,000–$7,000
- Plan may pay
- $0
- Your share
- $3,000–$7,000
- Plans commonly pay half the fee up to the lifetime maximum, sometimes only for dependents under 19. Check yours.
- Ask what the fee includes: records and x-rays, repairs, refinements, and retainers afterward.
- This is not a quote. Only an orthodontic exam can price your case, and most offices give a written estimate.
US ranges · Fees vary widely · Nothing you enter is saved
What the number depends on
Why two people are quoted very different fees
An orthodontic fee is mostly a fee for time and complexity. A case that needs a year of straightening is priced differently from one that needs two and a half years of bite correction, whatever appliance is used. That is why the ranges are wide and why the same office can quote one patient far less than another.
The type of appliance matters less than people expect. Ceramic and lingual braces cost more than metal because of materials and chair time. Clear aligners from a dentist or orthodontist are usually priced close to braces for a comparable case. Region and the experience of the provider move the fee as well.
Most offices offer an interest-free monthly plan across the length of treatment after a down payment, which is what the calculator estimates. Longer financing through a lender may carry interest, so ask which kind you are being offered.
Table 1 — What to ask before you sign
Questions for the orthodontic office
| What is included | Records and x-rays, all visits, repairs of broken brackets or lost aligners, refinements, and the first set of retainers. |
| What is not | Extractions or other dental work done elsewhere, replacement retainers, and visits after treatment ends. |
| How insurance is handled | Whether the office bills the plan, how the lifetime maximum is paid out, and what happens if coverage changes mid-treatment. |
| The payment plan | The down payment, the monthly amount, whether there is interest, and what happens if treatment runs long. |
| If you move or stop | How fees are pro-rated when treatment is transferred or ended early. |
Common questions
- How much is Invisalign?
- Clear aligner treatment from a dentist or orthodontist, including Invisalign, is often quoted at roughly $3,000 to $8,000 in the US for a full case, and less for short or limited cases. The fee depends mostly on how complex the case is and how long it will take. Only an exam can price yours.
- How much do braces cost per month?
- Many offices spread the fee over the length of treatment after a down payment. For a typical case that often works out to somewhere between about $100 and $300 a month over 18 to 24 months, depending on the total fee, insurance and the down payment. Ask whether the plan is interest-free.
- Does dental insurance cover braces or aligners?
- Some plans include an orthodontic benefit. It is usually a separate lifetime maximum, commonly $1,000 to $3,000, often paid at 50 percent of the fee, and sometimes only for dependents under 19. Many plans have no orthodontic benefit at all. Check your plan documents or ask the plan.
- Are clear aligners cheaper than braces?
- Not reliably. For a comparable case the fees from a dentist or orthodontist usually overlap. Aligners can cost less for minor cases that need few trays. The better question for an orthodontist is which appliance suits your case, and what each would cost in total.
General information · Not dental advice
The calculator narrows a national range. It cannot see your teeth, and it is not a quote or a recommendation for one kind of treatment. We always recommend seeing a dentist. Nothing on this site can examine your mouth or tell you what is wrong. If something hurts, looks wrong, or worries you, book an exam, and go sooner if it is getting worse.
Emergency? If you have trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling that is spreading toward your eye or neck, a fever with facial swelling, or bleeding that will not stop, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room immediately. Full disclaimer
About this tool
This tool gives general, educational information only. It does not know your health history, has not examined you, and cannot diagnose anything or tell you what treatment you need. Use it to prepare for a conversation with your dentist, not to replace one.
Costs and coverage
Information here about dental insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, VA benefits, discount plans and financing is general and may be out of date. Plan terms and program rules differ by plan and by state, and they change. This is not insurance, financial, tax or legal advice, and it does not tell you what any plan covers. Dollar figures are typical US ranges, not quotes. Before you rely on any of it, confirm with your own plan documents, the program itself, and a written estimate from your dental office. Never put off care for pain, swelling or a broken tooth because of cost: be seen, and ask the office about the fee and a payment plan.
Medical disclaimer
The information provided on Urgent Dental Helper is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is NOT intended to be a substitute for professional medical or dental advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Urgent Dental Helper is not a dental practice, and nothing here has examined your mouth. Always see a licensed dentist, physician, or other qualified health provider in person about any dental or medical condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or any result you received on this website.