braces and money issues for a college student

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#1 Post by **farleyjd** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 11:46 pm

hi guys! im a newbie here so ill introduce myself as Jenn. im 18 and in college right now. my parents are still claiming me as dependent..but we have no dental insurance ( and even if we did they wouldnt help me anyway). my older sister had braces when she was younger and i never had them so i think its unfair for them to not help me out in the least bit for getting braces. at the moment i have applied to stores literally EVERYWHERE where i live and im in need of job right now. i have some money saved up in an account from a previous job but i have a $60 dollar phone bill coming every month so its depleting. ive been to two different orthodontists. one quoted me $5950 for invisalign 12- 18 months and the other $4500 for 12 months. so ive decided not to go with invisalign and im going to try and get traditional braces ( for cost reasons) i know im ranting lol but i was wondering if theres any way i can get money for this to help me out. ive heard of carecredit and capitalone healthcare financing...but im young and i dont really have any type of credit built up right now.. i do have a credit card with a $500 limit but im not going to be stupid and put myself in debt. but none of my orthodontists ive been to seem to want to work with me on payments..so im still going around to different dentists... can i get a dental plan to help me? or can i even get my own insurance even tho im on their insurance plan still??....man i need a job quick

p.s my teeth really arent that bad im the kind of case where ppl say i dont even really need braces but i have bad TMJ problems that i want fixed due to headaches and lockjaw.

#2 Post by **Megan11** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 11:08 am

I was in almost the exact same situation as yourself. My ortho wouldn't let me sign for my braces because of " my lack of credit". So what I did was I got my stepfather to cosign for them, although he doesn't contribute to any of the payments. I decided to give up on ortho insurance, keep in mind that if you get insurance now you will have to wait for several months, or else it would be a "pre-existing condition". Most ortho insurance typically covers 1600$, which seems like a lot but when your paying 5 something it really isn't. I decided to go ahead with the braces without insurance and I have yet to regret it. I suggest you find a job prior to you getting braces, because orthos get super pissed if your late on your payment.

I'm not sure how the carecredit works or anything like that....

I also thing you should work first, save enough money for a downpayment that way you can pay smaller monthly payments and it should be a lot easier for you...

Good luck with everything.

#3 Post by **MrMetalMouth1029** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 7:49 pm

I'll tell you what I did. I'm a pretty conservative spender, but I had been contemplating getting braces for almost two years. I waited for my insurance anniversary so I could get at least a little help. I decided that it would be worth it for me to take out a student loan and use what was left over to help me pay for my braces. I knew that I would continue to be aggravated with my smile if I didn't become proactive. I had enough saved up with that money to fully pay for my braces. Orthodontists will give you a courtesy discount if you pay in full for services at the very beginning of treatment. I know I'll have to pay the money back in a few years, but I got to a point where mentally, I had to do what I had to do. I don't encourage everyone to do this, but if you're a responsible person and you know you can find a good job after you graduate, then I say why not. And there's nothing wrong with traditional braces--I see many people on college campuses, as well as white-collar professionals, wearing them

Good luck!

#4 Post by **dangerdude** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 8:05 pm

I would wait until you can pay at least half of the cost. If you get a job and could save $500/month, you will have your braces in under a year.

Don't ruin your credit history by getting the braces now that you can't afford. You'll have a hard time buying a car, renting an apartment, getting credit at stores, etc.

#5 Post by **lovelyleo** » Wed Nov 12, 2008 1:40 pm

I ay just wait and save up. I did not get braced until after I graduated college for the exact same reasons you stated. Braces aren't going anywhere soon.

#6 Post by **lilblackdress** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:40 am

... at the moment i have applied to stores literally EVERYWHERE where i live and im in need of job right now. i have some money saved up in an account from a previous job but i have a $60 dollar phone bill coming every month so its depleting. ....man i need a job quick

I would wait a while before getting braces if I were you. If I'm understanding your post correctly, you're currently unemployed and you don't have enough savings set aside to fully cover the cost of braces.

My braces cost $5,385 and even with a $500 down payment, I'm still paying $325 a month (without interest). If your $60 phone bill is depleting your savings, imagine what an orthodontist's bill would do!

Is it possible for your health insurance to cover the cost of treatment? Does anyone know if health insurance companies typically classify TMJ disorders as a medical condition or as a dental condition? If it's a medical condition, then it may be possible to get the treatment you need and have the cost covered by your parent's health insurance plan. I hope you can get answers in this thread, but if not, you can start a new thread and ask how people with TMJ conditions had their treatment costs paid for (out of pocket, medical insurance, dental insurance, etc.)

#7 Post by **jjjmac** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 11:27 am

I agree that you should not put the cost of the braces on your credit card. The best thing to do would be to wait until you finish school and get a job and have more money.

However, the one thing you could do as a student - though I don't recommend it - but if you wanted to, you could probably increase the amount of money you get from your student loans next go-around and then use that to pay for the braces. I had a lot of friends who took out more money than they needed for school so they could buy things - which I never did, because my loans were just enough to cover my tuition. But that is an option if you really feel like you don't want to wait.

If you have a part-time job and file taxes, you might be able to write off the expense. Ask your parents or a financial counselor at school.