Switching orthodontists mid-treatment can definitely get a bit tricky financially. We had to do it when my daughter was about halfway through her braces. Our original ortho retired unexpectedly (health reasons, unfortunately), and we had paid upfront for the discount. At first, I panicked a little, thinking we'd lose out on money or have to pay double.
Luckily, it wasn't as messy as I feared—but still not exactly smooth sailing. Here's how it went down for us:
First, our original orthodontist provided a detailed breakdown of the treatment already completed and what was left. This was super helpful because it gave us something concrete to show the new ortho.
Then, the original office calculated how much of our upfront payment they'd used up based on the treatment done so far. They refunded us the remaining balance, which took about 3-4 weeks to process. Not too bad, but it was still a bit stressful waiting for that check to arrive.
Next, we took that refund to the new orthodontist, who did their own evaluation. Of course, they had slightly different ideas about treatment plans (because every ortho seems to have their own style, right?), so we ended up paying a little more overall than we originally planned. Not a huge difference, but still something worth noting if you're budgeting carefully.
Honestly, if I could go back, I'd probably choose monthly payments instead of upfront. The discount was nice, but the flexibility and peace of mind you get from paying month-to-month outweighs the savings, at least in my experience. Plus, orthodontic treatments rarely go exactly as planned—my daughter's teeth decided to be stubborn and needed a few extra months anyway. 😅
Anyway, hope that helps shed some light on the financial side of switching orthos mid-treatment. It's doable, just requires a bit of patience and paperwork.
We actually did upfront payments and it worked out pretty well for us. I totally get your point about flexibility, but in our case, the discount was substantial enough that even with some unexpected delays (my teeth were stubborn too...), we still saved quite a bit overall. Guess it depends on how big the discount is and how comfortable you are with the ortho practice you're choosing. Definitely worth crunching the numbers carefully before deciding.
We see this a lot at our practice too—patients weighing upfront payments versus monthly plans. I personally went through braces as an adult, and even though I work in dentistry, I still had to crunch the numbers carefully. Initially, monthly payments seemed appealing because of the flexibility, but after factoring in the upfront discount offered by my orthodontist, it was clear I'd save quite a bit by paying upfront.
Of course, everyone's situation is different. If you're confident about your ortho practice and have enough savings set aside, paying upfront can be a smart move financially. But if you're feeling unsure or your budget is tight month-to-month, spreading out payments might give you peace of mind. My advice is usually to sit down and do the math—factor in any potential delays (like stubborn teeth...been there!) and see which option feels more comfortable overall. There's no one-size-fits-all answer here, just what works best for your personal finances and comfort level.
I totally get the appeal of upfront discounts, but what do you guys think about unexpected costs popping up mid-treatment? I went the monthly route because it felt safer to have some cash handy in case something random happened (car repairs...ugh). Sure, I might've missed out on some savings, but the peace of mind was worth it for me. Did anyone else factor in those surprise expenses when deciding? Curious how common that concern is.
I see your point, but honestly, unexpected expenses can pop up anytime, braces or not. When I went upfront, I just made sure to have a small emergency fund set aside first—felt safer that way and still got the discount. Worked out pretty well for me.
