A beautiful, healthy smile is priceless, but, unfortunately, achieving that gorgeous grin isn’t. Whether it’s a standard dental cleaning, specialized care, or orthodontic treatment, you or your dental insurance will have to pay for it.
However, good dental care is a worthwhile investment in your long-term overall health; paying for clean teeth and a properly aligned bite now will safeguard your oral health for tomorrow, and save you time and money in expensive restorative procedures later in life.
Orthodontic treatment like Invisalign is especially important to a healthy smile. Not only can straight, properly aligned teeth improve your confidence, they can also prevent uneven wear and tear on the biting surfaces of your teeth, reduce strain on your jaw muscles, and minimize the risk of damage to your teeth and gums.
Getting the right orthodontic treatment is important. Moving teeth is a complex physiological process, and realigning them safely and effectively takes experience, professional oversight, and a well-designed and executed treatment plan. Cheap or inexperienced treatment can result in improper alignment and damage to the teeth or teeth roots, all of which can cause bigger problems for you in the future.
Invisalign is a convenient, affordable, and efficient way to achieve a straighter, healthier smile, and it’s important to know that when you pay for professional Invisalign treatment, you’re paying for more than just a set of plastic trays–you’re paying for Invisalign’s innovative planning software, orthodontic expertise, and personalized care that produces safe, reliable, and predictable results.
The average Invisalign treatment will cost between $4500-$6,000, which is comparable to traditional metal braces. However, the exact amount you’ll pay will depend on several factors, like:
Your current smile. Minor alignment issues like gapped teeth or adjusting teeth in a patient who has previously had braces will usually take less time and cost less than more severe problems that require longer treatment time, more in-depth treatment plans, and special attachments.
Your insurance. How much you’ll be responsible out-of-pocket for your Invisalign treatment will largely depend on your insurance. Some plans will pay up to $3,500 of treatment for patients 19 years or younger; few, if any, will pay to cover Invisalign treatment for adults.
Patient behavior. The cost you’ll be quoted before beginning your Invisalign treatment will be estimated on the assumption that you will adhere to your doctor’s guidance, care for your aligners properly, and attend all scheduled checkups. Losing or damaging your aligners, failing to wear them for the 22+ hours of recommended time each day, or skipping regular checkups can all lead to additional costs and extended treatment timelines.
Today’s orthodontic patients have many options for treatment, including for clear aligner treatment, but Invisalign is different.
Some dental insurance plans–especially those with an orthodontic treatment rider–will cover part or all of your Invisalign treatment much the same way they cover braces, either for a certain percentage or as a specific dollar amount. Some plans will pay up to $3,500 toward the cost of Invisalign treatment, but there is usually a lifetime cap on the total amount that will be covered, while other plans will offer benefits or discounts for treatment.
You may also have orthodontic treatment coverage under your health insurance plan instead of your dental. Be sure to check with your benefits manager to find out what is covered and how.
An HSA is a specialized savings account available to patients with a high-deductible health insurance plan. If you meet IRS eligibility requirements to open an HSA, you’ll be able to contribute money to it throughout the year (typically up to $6,750 annually for a family or $3,400 for an individual) that will help you pay for dental or medical costs like Invisalign treatment. Your doctor may be paid directly from your benefits provider, or you may have to pay your doctor first, then get reimbursed from your HSA; be sure to speak with your benefits manager and your doctor’s office before starting treatment.
One advantage of an HSA is that you do not have to pay taxes on your contributions.
An FSA can be used to cover eligible dental, medical, or orthodontic costs like Invisalign treatment. It’s an employer-managed account that you can fund throughout the year with pre-tax money from your paycheck, and most patients are able to use up to $2,550 of their FSA money for Invisalign treatment.
Similar to an HSA, FSA contributions are non-taxable, and payments will be made either directly to the doctor or as a qualified reimbursement to you.
Many Invisalign providers offer financing options to make orthodontic treatment more accessible. Dental Depot of DFW, for example, partners with Alphaeon, a loan provider that specializes in the medical field to provide financial aid to patients in need. Before you submit your full application, you can pre-qualify to find out how much you are likely to be approved for without affecting your credit score. After the pre-qualification, you will complete the full application, which will have an impact on your credit score, but as long as payments are made consistently and on-time, the effect should be minimal. Once approved, you will receive a card with the approved amount that you will use to make payments. Payments on your account can be made online or by phone.
Your Invisalign provider may also offer payment plans that allow you to spread out the cost of your treatment over several months or even years with affordable, 0% interest installments.
Dental Depot of DFW is a Platinum Invisalign Provider, a distinction awarded to just 1% of Invisalign providers nationally. This designation means that our staff of Invisalign-certified dentists and orthodontists has helped more than 800 people discover their healthiest smile with Invisalign, treating more than 200 cases a year.
If you think Invisalign might be right for you or your child, contact one of the several Dental Depot locations throughout the DFW Metro area. In addition to no-obligation in-person orthodontic consultations, we also offer SmileSnap, an online program that allows you to upload pictures of your smile right to our website. Start smiling brighter with Invisalign!
