How much do braces cost and when to get them

Interest in braces is great not only among teenagers, but in recent years it has been growing especially among adults. What all orthodontic treatment does it include and what about the much-discussed prices? What is the key to successful treatment and what to look out for when choosing a doctor?

To make it invisible and as cheap as possible. According to Klára Šafránková, this is what patients’ wishes for orthodontic treatment often look like. “Actually, they are not at all interested in the whole process, what specifically I would need to do with them. But when we build a house, we also need to have a good foundation – and a good foundation for us is diagnostics,” the doctor describes in the MUDr.ování podcast.

If the patient leaves with braces on right after the first visit, according to her, it’s almost a warning signal. Without comprehensive diagnostics, doctors are playing Russian roulette. It is not just about straightening the teeth – it works with the entire oral cavity, jaws and joints. Everything must not only look good, but also function properly.

“Unfortunately, now with the increase in foil braces, I often meet patients who have trouble biting anything and don’t know how to fit their teeth together. At the same time, they have beautiful, perfect teeth. It’s such a side effect of a bad diagnosis,” the orthodontist believes.

Who were we talking to?

Braces can be fitted at basically any age, as long as the patient has good oral hygiene and healthy bones and gums. However, it is no secret that this is an expensive matter. For an adult, even a fixed appliance – i.e. classic metal braces with locks on the teeth – can price move around 50 to 100 thousand for the entire period of treatment. It usually lasts about two years.

Why pay such sums when it’s just a few wires on the teeth? According to Klára Šafránková, it should be taken into account that the price is reflected in many more items than just the material in the mouth. One of them is, for example, the education that the doctor pays for, the rent or the equipment of the office. Still, she says, braces don’t have to completely break the bank.

“Maybe it’s spread out in our workplace. We always tell the patient the price plan before starting the treatment, and in fact, they always pay for what they put in their mouths. So it doesn’t all work at once, it’s gradual,” explains the doctor.

So is it more worthwhile to buy braces, or rather to spend the saved money on a new car, for example? Everyone has to answer for themselves. According to the orthodontist, braces can really change lives, and patients can see how their teeth “bloom” with straightened teeth. At the same time, there are also a number of people who believe that they need braces, while their teeth are fine.

“I am the orthodontist who often talks patients out of treatment, because I think that it is really unnecessary to deal with some defects. For some defects, it’s more of a whim. I talk about it, for example, when the patients themselves are not sure. I see that everything works and they only have some small deviation, which can be nice,” says Klára Šafránková.

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