I’m about to have two kids in braces. That’s double the orthodontic bills. That’s two sets of appointments. That’s double the kiddos avoiding sticky or crunchy snacks. (I’m looking at you, popcorn.)
I didn’t plan it this way, it just happened. My oldest son is getting his on a little late (sorry, soon-to-be freshman who might still have braces as a junior!) and my daughter is right on time, meaning they’re getting their braces on within weeks of one another.
I’m a natural procrastinator and this is especially true when I haven’t done something before. I let the unknown and false fears build up in my mind preventing me from stepping into the new situation until it’s absolutely forced upon me. And when thousands of dollars are involved, my procrastination is in overdrive!
Don’t procrastinate getting braces
As a result, we waited over a year to schedule an ortho appointment and then it took a few months to get in. Thankfully, our orthodontist offered a free consultation to determine whether braces were needed.
They were.
For both.
My husband was skeptical about whether an orthodontist would ever conclude that braces weren’t needed, but I assured him my friend had that exact situation occur with her son. Most orthodontists offer these free consultations, so definitely take advantage of it and do some price comparison. We went with our local orthodontist which should make grabbing the kids out of school for appointments easy-peasy during the school year.
Remember when your kids were younger and you’d say, “I have two in diapers” and receive sympathetic looks from strangers? The “I have two in braces” sympathy is next level. I imagine it can only be topped by “I have two in college,” which we’ll likely have in approximately five years.
I didn’t know what braces cost, so I wasn’t “braced” for the price tag. I knew it was hefty, but were we talking “new tv” hefty or “new car” hefty? Turns out, it’s somewhere in the middle.
Six thousand dollars seems to be the median price per set. Maybe a little more, maybe a little less. Our orthodontist offers a discount for the second family member, so my daughter’s braces were slightly less. Hallelujah! And while “slightly less” is still a big chunk of change, I’ll happily take any break I can get.
I wish I hadn’t procrastinated and started my oldest two years ago. Then I could have spread the 12k price tag across four years instead of two. Word to the wise, don’t be like me. Plan ahead and save your budget (and your sanity) in the process.
Have your kids had braces?
