With dental insurance, braces typically cost between $1,000 and $4,000 out of pocket. The exact amount depends on the type of braces, your plan’s lifetime orthodontic maximum, and whether the patient is a child or an adult. Without insurance, you’re looking at $3,000 to $7,000 for traditional metal braces and significantly more for less visible options.
What Insurance Actually Covers
Most dental plans that include orthodontic benefits cover a percentage of treatment or a fixed dollar amount, whichever is less. Coverage up to $1,500 to $3,000 is common as a lifetime orthodontic maximum, meaning that’s the total your plan will ever pay toward braces, not an annual benefit that resets each year. Some plans cover 50% of the cost up to that cap, while more generous employer-sponsored plans may cover more.
Here’s where it gets tricky: not every dental plan includes orthodontic coverage at all. Many basic and mid-tier plans exclude braces entirely. If your plan does cover them, it often treats children and adults very differently. Plans frequently cover braces for dependents under age 19 but classify adult orthodontics as cosmetic and exclude it. About a third of orthodontic patients are adults, yet adult coverage remains far less common.
Cost by Braces Type
The type of braces you choose has a bigger impact on your total bill than almost any other factor. Here’s what each option runs on average before insurance:
- Traditional metal braces: $3,000 to $7,000, with a national average around $6,300
- Ceramic braces: roughly $5,800 on average, though they can run higher depending on complexity
- Lingual braces (mounted behind the teeth): about $9,200 on average, making them the most expensive option
- Clear aligners (Invisalign): comparable to traditional braces in most cases, and most insurance plans that cover braces cover aligners the same way
If your plan has a $2,000 lifetime orthodontic maximum, you’d pay roughly $4,300 out of pocket for average metal braces or around $7,200 for lingual braces. The insurance benefit stays the same regardless of which type you pick, so upgrading to a less visible option comes entirely out of your pocket.
Real-World Cost Examples
Invisalign’s website offers some illustrative breakdowns that apply broadly to any braces type. In one scenario, a patient with $7,000 in treatment fees had $5,600 covered by insurance, leaving just $1,400 out of pocket. In another, a $5,600 treatment bill was reduced to $2,800 after insurance. These represent a wide range of plan generosity, but they show what’s possible with strong employer-sponsored coverage versus a more typical individual plan.
Your orthodontist’s office will typically submit a pre-authorization to your insurance before treatment starts, so you’ll know your exact coverage before committing.
Waiting Periods and Timing
If you’re buying a new dental plan specifically to get braces, expect a waiting period. Most dental insurers require 6 to 12 months of enrollment before orthodontic benefits kick in. This applies to individually purchased plans and sometimes to employer plans as well. Employer-sponsored coverage may also have its own eligibility waiting period before you can even enroll, adding another layer of delay.
Planning ahead matters. If you know braces are in your future, enrolling in a plan with orthodontic benefits a full year before starting treatment is the most practical approach. Starting braces during your waiting period means the insurer won’t pay a cent.
Medicaid Coverage for Children
Medicaid covers braces for children under 21, but only when treatment is medically necessary. This isn’t a cosmetic benefit. States use specific clinical criteria to determine eligibility: conditions like cleft palate, a severe overbite exceeding 7 millimeters, crossbite affecting soft tissue, or impacted permanent teeth typically qualify automatically. For cases that don’t meet those automatic thresholds, states use a scoring index that measures how far the teeth deviate from normal, and a minimum score is required.
If your child has crooked teeth but no functional problems like difficulty chewing, breathing issues, or tissue damage, Medicaid will likely deny coverage. Your orthodontist can evaluate whether your child’s case meets the threshold before you apply.
Lowering Your Out-of-Pocket Cost
Beyond insurance, two tools can meaningfully reduce what you pay. Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) both allow you to use pre-tax dollars toward orthodontic expenses, effectively saving you 20% to 35% depending on your tax bracket. FSAs can reimburse down payments, monthly installments, and any portion not covered by your dental plan. You can even set up recurring payments from your FSA directly to your orthodontist’s office, spreading the tax savings across multiple plan years for longer treatments.
Most orthodontic offices also offer in-house payment plans. These typically require a down payment upfront, then spread the remaining balance over 12 to 24 monthly installments. The key advantage: most in-house plans charge zero interest, according to the American Association of Orthodontists. Third-party financing through medical credit companies is another option, though these may carry variable interest rates after any promotional period ends. If your orthodontist offers interest-free payments, that’s almost always the better deal.
Combining insurance coverage with an FSA and an interest-free payment plan is the most effective strategy. On a $6,000 treatment, for example, $2,000 from insurance plus $1,500 in pre-tax FSA funds could bring your effective cost down to around $2,500, paid in manageable monthly installments with no interest.