Totally agree, dental insurance can be tricky with ortho stuff. When my oldest had braces, we opted for monthly payments directly through the orthodontist's office—no interest and pretty flexible. Helped us manage costs better, especially when those surprise retainer replacements popped up...which they definitely did, lol.
We went the monthly route too, and honestly it was a lifesaver. But one thing I'd suggest is getting a second opinion before committing. Our first ortho quoted us a pretty steep price, but when we checked with another office nearby, they offered a similar treatment plan for quite a bit less. Definitely worth shopping around a bit...braces aren't cheap, and every little bit helps. And yeah, those retainers seem to vanish into thin air—still convinced there's a retainer-eating monster in our house somewhere, lol.
We opted for upfront payment because our ortho offered a decent discount if we paid in full. Definitely agree about shopping around though...our first quote was through the roof, but the second place gave us a better vibe and a more affordable plan. And yeah, retainers disappearing is no joke—my kid lost two in under six months. Pretty sure there's a black hole under his bed somewhere, lol.
We went the monthly payment route since it felt more manageable for our budget at the time. But I totally get why upfront payments are appealing, especially with a nice discount on the table. And haha, the retainer struggle is real...my daughter lost hers at school once and we found it months later in her gym locker (yikes). Curious, did your ortho offer any kind of replacement plan or discount for lost retainers? Seems like that'd be a lifesaver for parents!
"Curious, did your ortho offer any kind of replacement plan or discount for lost retainers? Seems like that'd be a lifesaver for parents!"
Totally agree on the retainer struggle—been there myself. Our ortho didn't have an official replacement plan, but they did give us a heads-up at the start about potential costs if one got lost. Honestly, having that info upfront helped us factor it into our budgeting decisions. Monthly payments felt safer to us too, especially with unexpected expenses like these popping up...
