Ceramic braces (clear braces): Costs and pricing considerations.

Yes, you can anticipate that the treatment costs associated with ceramic braces ("clear braces") will be greater than that fee your orthodontist charges for traditional stainless steel dental braces. One reason for this is the price difference between these bracket types. Ceramic orthodontic brackets cost more than their stainless steel counterparts.

There are, however, other factors that also come into play. Ceramic brackets are somewhat more difficult for the orthodontist to work. Due to the comparative lower strength and greater brittleness of ceramic brackets, it somewhat more likely that the patient will experience some type of bracket failure during the course of treatment utilizing clear braces. If so, the bracket will need to be reattached or replaced, thus creating an added expense for the orthodontist.

Additionally, and due to these same physical property concerns, an orthodontist may feel that they must move the patient's teeth more gradually (apply a gentler force) when clear braces are used. Doing so helps to minimize the chance that a bracket failure will occur. Because the patient's teeth are moved more slowly, the overall treatment time for the case will most likely to be longer. This increase in the total number of patient visits will need to be reflected in the cost of the ceramic braces.

Ceramic dental braces: Cost-cutting measures.

As a way of saving money, some patients may choose to just have ceramic braces placed on those teeth that show most prominently. This may be just the upper teeth, or possibly even just the upper center six teeth. Your orthodontist should be able to demonstrate to you the extent to which the traditional metal brackets used on the remaining teeth will show. For many people this provides a perfectly satisfactory, besides more cost effective, alternative.

Will your dental insurance policy cover the cost of ceramic braces?

In those cases where you have dental insurance coverage that does provide benefits for orthodontic treatment, the insurance coverage provided for ceramic braces should be similar to that allowed for treatment utilizing traditional dental braces.