We didn't get any discounts either, but our ortho was pretty understanding when my daughter lost hers at summer camp. They didn't charge us full price for the replacement, thankfully—just a smaller fee to cover materials. Still stung a bit, but better than paying the whole thing again. Did your ortho mention anything about partial fees or was it strictly full price replacements? Seems like every office handles it differently...
"Seems like every office handles it differently..."
You're definitely right about that—I've noticed quite a bit of variation myself. Our orthodontist had a similar approach when my son accidentally threw his retainer away at lunch (wrapped it in a napkin, classic move...). They didn't waive the fee completely but did charge us only a modest replacement cost, which was fair enough. It's reassuring when practices recognize these things happen, especially with kids. On another note, regarding payment options, we went with monthly installments instead of upfront payment. While paying upfront would have given us some savings, spreading out the payments made budgeting easier for our family at the time. It might not be the absolute cheapest route overall, but sometimes peace of mind and manageable monthly expenses outweigh the immediate discount.
"sometimes peace of mind and manageable monthly expenses outweigh the immediate discount."
Couldn't agree more with this. When we went through braces with our daughter, we initially considered paying upfront for the discount, but life happens... car repairs, unexpected vet bills, you name it. Monthly payments just felt safer and less stressful. Every family's situation is different, so it's great when orthodontists offer flexible options that let people choose what works best for them. Glad your office was understanding about the retainer mishap too—been there!
We went through something similar, debated forever about paying upfront or monthly. Honestly, I get anxious just thinking about tying up a chunk of money like that. What if the fridge dies next month or the dog eats another sock (true story, sadly)? Sure, the discount upfront sounds tempting, but is it worth losing sleep over? For me, knowing exactly what's coming out each month just feels safer. Did your orthodontist offer any kind of middle ground—like a partial down payment with smaller monthly installments? Ours did, and it helped ease my anxiety a bit. Glad to hear your office was cool about the retainer thing...those little plastic nightmares seem designed to disappear or break at the worst possible moment.
I totally get the anxiety around lump-sum payments. When I had my dental implants done, my dentist offered a similar middle-ground option—smaller upfront deposit, then manageable monthly installments. Honestly, it made the whole thing less stressful. And yeah, retainers really do pick the worst moments to vanish—my grandson lost his at a pizza place once...found it later in the trash bin (yuck). Glad your orthodontist was understanding about it, though.
