I recently took my boys to the dentist for a check up. I was ecstatic to find that neither of them had any cavities....but it cost me $390 to be told that.
The dentist then referred them both to an orthodontist. This wasn't a shock...I knew it was coming. In this day and age everyone has a perfectly straight white paling fence in their mouths. What Mum is going to say..."Nah...just live with your teeth the way they are."
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| Master 12 showing off exactly why he needs braces |
Then they were both sent for mouth X-rays.....hallelujah this procedure is bulk billed...cost to me nothing....cost to the government ????.
Master 15 needs to have one tooth extracted...cost quoted between $150-$300, depending on the ease of the extraction.
Then before they get the braces on they need to have a "records" appointment. This involves plaster casts of their mouths and photos taken to be used as their "before" pictures. Cost to me $340. I would offer to take a few snaps on the iPhone....but I don't think it would go down too well.
Then the actual braces.....if you want these ones.....
If you are prepared to be a little less aesthetically pleasing and get these ones.....
....it will only cost you $6000.....EACH.
My boys will definitely be getting the less aesthetically pleasing ones....sorry boys.
So all up I am looking at a total cost of $13,248...at this stage...barring any unforeseen circumstances.
So when I suggested I may need a second mortgage on the house I wasn't kidding!
Think I'd better go take a bex and have a good lie down.
holy mother of the big fella!!....I think dentures are cheaper...tell them to go skate down a very steep hill!
ReplyDeletebetter make that 2 bex
Al x
I would...but I can't afford 2
Deletexx
Back in the late 80s, one of my sons needed braces. really, really needed them, unlike some of the girls where they were considered a part of growing up.
ReplyDeleteHe had baby teeth which had never come through which needed extraction, baby teeth which were growing at odd angles to the gum because of crowding. These also needed extraction. There were second teeth which hadn't come through because of crowding from baby teeth. I think we had to pay a dental surgeon for the worst of the extractions where tooth was shattered and pulled out in bits.
The braces were like the cheaper ones you showed. There was no choice. I will say the orthodontist was understanding. The cost back then was close to $4000, so pricey really in comparison to the way everything has gone up now. We were able to pay it in instalments over the three-four years he had them in. It also covered a face mask to be worn at night to adjust the position of the teeth. Looked like a fencer's mask. It also covered extra visits to fix or adjust wires on the braces. All up, I think we got a good deal and he's been fine ever since.
Brace yourself ( sorry!) for the complaints when they first get them and when they are adjusted. Mouth will hurt for some days and they will need pain relief probably. We were told that despite the pain, chewing was the best way to relieve things as braces settled in more quickly with chewing than by being a sook about it.
Goodness...sounds like he got more than his fair share of problems. It's amazing what they are able to fix with braces.
DeleteI guess if they cost $4000 in the eighties...it's not surprising they are up to $6000 by now. But it's still an awful lot of money to have to find....we are definitely investigating the payment plans.