Do I have to pay full price for Invisalign if I only have some minor crowding? (Photo)

Question

I recently was seen by a dentist who informed me that I would have to pay the full price of $5,000 for invisalign treatment. I had braces in high school, have a permanent retainer on my bottom teeth. My concern is some minor crowding with my front teeth. It seems quite absurd to have to spend the full amount when my case is not complex. I do have dental insurance, however it only covers orthodontics on dependants up to the age of 19. Some insight/advice please.

Kathy Frazar, DDS, FAGD · Answer

More advanced cases require more sets of Invisalign aligners but if your case is simpler, you may be able to pay less due to fewer sets and this can shorten the treatment time as well and be a good candidate for Invisalign Fast. The best option is an Invisalign consultation to determine estimated treatment timelines, number of aligners, etc. Compliance with wearing the aligners also has an impact on how successful / short the treatment is.

Lance Timmerman, DMD, MAGD · Answer

The fee will depend on the number of aligners used.  If more than 10 aligners, the fee is the same.  If the case only takes 5 aligners, there is a smaller fee, up to 10 aligners a little bit more, and then more than 10 is full fee.The fees charged to a patient are a choice by each office.  The office COULD do the case for free if they choose, however, they won't be in business for very long.The number of aligners to do the case is unknown until the case is submitted to Invisalign.  Often there is a small records fee and the case type is determined then.Some offices choose not to offer the express option, as we rarely do.  Often cases that were thought to be express turn out NOT, so asking for additional funds in order to continue can be uncomfortable.

Oleg Drut, DDS · Answer

Simple or not simple the case the price will remain the same in most of the cases. I would not recommend invisalign express due to limitation of aligners (max 10). Very often, 10 not enough and even a simple case can turn into more difficult one. You do not want to be a hostage of aligners, you want your doctor to have unlimited tools to correct the bite and alignment. In addition, simple or not simple case, you would need a set of retainers regardless of the simplicity of the case, in order to retain the results. So, most of the time, the price does not depend on the difficulty of the case

Do I have to pay full price for Invisalign if I only have some minor crowding? (Photo)

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Do I have to pay full price for Invisalign if I only have some minor crowding? (Photo)

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Invisalign

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.