Hey everyone I've been needing braces for over 4 years and it's been critical for at least 2 years.
BUT my parents have never committed even though I've gone for the xrays myself and so forth.
I'm now 19 and am tired of having them ignore the problem.
Can anyone please advise me on any options?
Melbourne, Eastern Suburbs.
I would be fine with paying myself and any interest free plans would be a bonus.
(I can't travel to Thailand to get them cheaply done…)
Are there any good ways to find them? Comparison sites?
Rather than just googling?
Dunno. Word of mouth or you can go for a consultation.
Thanks! I'll take a look!
Hi there,
We are in the SE suburbs of Melbourne.
My daughter had top and bottom braces put on in Feb this year and her orthodontist charges $7500.
You pay about $2500 up front and then $600 every 3 months for the next 2 years.
Good luck :)
Thanks! Would you happen to have the name and location of the ortho?
Hi name is Michael Kirshon.
Hight Street Road Glen Waverley.
Thank you!
I can't help much, but your comment about your parents caught my eye.
It's definitely worth having your braces done sooner rather than later. You are doing the right thing.
My husband had to get his done at 35 and it was not fun. He also needed surgery, and so did his sister. Apparently his parents told him that when he was younger the orthodontist told them they were not needed. All I can say is hmmmmm.
The only thing I might know that helps is a tax refund if you exceed medical spending limits:
https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Income-and-deductions/Off…
You may be able to get them to bill in the same financial year for for treatment in advance, so you can at least get some back.
Thank you very much! All the advice helps.
Yeah… I was able to part of the government subsidised program for under 16s and then under 18s which would have only cost $2k but my parents shut down any chances and I couldn't do anything because I was still too young to know.
I think you won't be able to get the government subsidising for orthodontic work, unless you can get a GP to give you prescription. Cosmetic surgeries are excluded from the program as far as I know.
We put braces on our sons teeth many years ago, made an initial payment then paid a fixed amount each visit. Before the end of the financial year, we chose to pay the entire amount owing. We were able to claim in our tax return 'net medical expenses' tax offset.
As someone who has been through the braces scheme. Talking to other people is your best bet.
Some orthodontists will put them on for the sake of it, even if you're not ready for them. Others will turn you away until your teeth have developed and are ready. You want the latter.
Hi Ban,
I feel for ya mate! One option I thought might help - would you be eligible to get a credit card? If so, you could then pay for it all in one hit and then just pay off the credit card then, as Natt suggested, you would qualify to claim that all back in next years tax return.
Just one other thing, I don't think the government subsidy covers for orthodontics so it wouldn't have done you any good any way. :-(
Good luck with it all anyways!
join smiles.com.au , this will save you something
join extras NOW and get what work you can now and the rest in 12 months when it kicks in
http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/dynamic/compare.aspx & ask for waiting periods to be waived!
AHM Lifestyle (about $35 a month) and medibank TOP 85% at almost $70 (after 29.04% gov rebate)
then save money and drop to Basic 70% with medibank @<$18 a month for ongoing health needs and dental
you can negotiate, shop around and get payment plans too for the difference
Invisalign
I did my teeth with Invisalign and havent regretted it
Costs kinda the same as normal braces
Also get AHM Super Cover as they pay $900/year for orthodontics after 12 months waiting so whatever you pay yearly, you can pay it for your orthodontics. You also get $250 for optical (100% back) no waiting period
Invisalign is great, but generally takes a bit longer and can't correct all orthodontic problems.
that is a myth. Invisalign can now treat most orthodontic problems.
I was told my teeth would need 2 - 3 years with normal braces. They were corrected in 13 months with invisalign.
Again its a case to case basis but has advanced in the last couple of years and now they can treat alot of complex cases.
Is it possible to get invisalign in Thailand without flying over every 6 weeks, ie can they send the new liners in the post?
Depends on the orthodontist. Mine used to give me 2 - 3 trays at a time ( 4 - 6 weeks) and used to see him at those intervals.
Some orthodontist would ask for pics of your teeth every 2 weeks/month if your travelling to make sure your teeth are improving and your not getting any gum problems.
Its definitely something to discuss with them on your initial interview.
Just be aware that you will have to wear the aligners at least 20hrs per day and you MUST brush your teeth and floss after every meal. I would recommend a electric toothbrush and a water flosser (in addition to wax flossing).
You MUST also clean your aligners with a tooth brush and dishwashing detergent at least 2 times a day. Otherwise they will go yellow and look gross
Orthodontists do vary significantly in price. Shop around and ask around. I know when I was considering them them my aunty told me of a dentist who was heaps cheaper than the guy I was going to.
Yep….go for invisalign…..
Has anyone ever got an itemised account from the dentist explaining the ridiculous costs?.
Would love to see how they justify such ridiculous charges
5-6 years of uni, thousands of hours of practice scenarios and than again more hours training with real people at lower income owner costs (public dental) is mainly the reason for the prices…
I got braces at 22 yrs old. I go to an ortho on the eastside where the waiting list for the popular ortho is around 1-2 yrs, the other ones are less.
It costs 2.4 k up front, with 200 monthly instalments for 6.8k.
Prices vary on a case by case basis and will not reflect on what you will be paying on yours as each circumstance is different
edit: i meant 6.8 k total, including the upfront payment
my invisilign cost me 7K all up.
happy to refer anyone to my dentist for those interested
I would highly recommend going to a few different places to get quotes. For my experiences each of the 3 orthos i went to each had different prices and methods to deal with my teeth. One orthos wanted to take a tooth out, the second wanted to use some device on the back of the teeth and the 3rd appeared to be the most strange forward( cheapest as well).
Surely it would worthwhile and much cheaper to join private health insurance, wait a year and then use the private health insurance?
The difference between 19 and 20 is probably not a deal breaker, maybe an extra month or two max of braces.
Find an orthodontist with the most suitable plan for you. They can work with your personal finance, so you can choose your own monthly payments and deposit.