Sydney Australia - Broken Bracket Costs

[ZeeZee]

Hello,

Yesterday I stupidly bit into a hard boiled sweet (habit instead of sucking!) and it resulted in a bracket from a bottom back tooth to come off (the one before the last bracketed).

I went to the nearest ortho and the ortho wouldn't reattach it for me! But they said their other ortho would do it for...$200!!!

As I am in Australia for another 2 months (on holiday) I fear that I may not have a choice but to pay what seems like an obscene price to reattach a piece of metal (which I still have) with a tiny amount of dental cement.

What I'm wondering is really: Is this a usual price for this type of thing (with Sydney being horrendously expensive generally) or am I being taken advantage of?

No wonder there are so many 'How can I reattach my brace brackets myself?' posts when I Google prices!

[ZeeZee]

Opps- I ment to make it clear that I cannot see my own ortho as he's back in the UK, so going to another ortho over here (Aus) to fix it is my only option. I don't want to wait 2 months having it broken when it'd probably set my treatment time right back, as the tooth cannot move!

[hazybubbles]

I'm assuming as you said you went to the nearest ortho that you are not being treated there normally, which would explain why they are charging so much. Why not phone your regular ortho and ask advice. They may just say leave it til you come back.

[ZeeZee]

Yes, it's not my ortho. Just seems to be ridiculous considering it's literally a bit of glue, zap dried, done.

Coincidentally - if I pay it, I'll have paid 1/5 of what I paid for my entire braces (damon clear top/damon bottom)!!!!

[Tobilei]

I can't tell you if that's correct or not, but I live nearish to Sydney and can tell you that braces here are expensive compared to overseas (my current Damon Clear SL tops and Clarity 3M bottoms were around $7000). They will definitely charge you because you're not a regular client. I'm not sure if a regular dentist could re-attach a bracket but might be worth calling up and asking as it would likely be less. I would imagine it would have to be an ortho though.

I think calling your own orthodontist for advice is probably not a bad idea.