"One thing I'd suggest is double-checking if there's any discount for paying upfront."
That's a good point—I wish I'd thought about that earlier. When I got braces myself (adult braces club, anyone?), I went with monthly payments because it felt easier on the wallet at the time. But yeah, seeing that payment show up every month got old pretty fast. I remember joking with my ortho that my braces were like a Netflix subscription—except way less fun, lol.
Also, definitely echoing your advice about hidden costs. My retainer broke after just a few months, and surprise... replacements weren't covered. Not cheap either. So maybe ask specifically about retainer replacements or emergency visits—stuff you might not even think about upfront.
At the end of the day, it's probably down to personal comfort level—do you prefer one big hit or lots of smaller ones? Either way, just make sure you know exactly what you're signing up for. Good luck!
I totally feel you on the retainer thing—mine vanished mysteriously (pretty sure my dog was involved...) and that replacement cost hurt more than the braces payments. Did your ortho offer insurance or warranty options for retainers? Wish I'd asked about that earlier.
My ortho didn't offer any retainer insurance either, but honestly, I'm not sure it would've been worth it. Seems like those plans often have sneaky exclusions or limits. Might be better to just stash away a little emergency fund instead...just in case the dog strikes again, lol.
We skipped retainer insurance too—honestly, the fine print made me nervous. Instead, I opened a separate savings account just for ortho emergencies. Feels safer knowing the money's there if something happens (like your dog scenario...been there with our puppy, ugh). Monthly payments helped us budget better overall, but setting aside a small emergency fund definitely eased my anxiety. Might be worth considering both options together if you're cautious like me.
"Monthly payments helped us budget better overall, but setting aside a small emergency fund definitely eased my anxiety."
Totally relate to this. When I got braces, I initially thought paying upfront would simplify things, but after crunching numbers (typical me, spreadsheets and all...), monthly payments made way more sense. I did exactly what you mentioned—set aside a small fund just in case. Glad I did, because halfway through treatment, I accidentally stepped on my retainer. Lesson learned: always have a backup plan, especially if you're clumsy like me.
