cost is a deal breaker at my age.... right?

[felicia]

Veneers are more expensive than braces.

[MegP60+]

I am over 60 and also initially hoped my teeth could get fixed with veneers and I had a hard time adjusting to the fact that orthodontics was my best option, especially the time involved - I am not getting any younger! My treatment cost is $5300, and my husband is also 62 and already retired so the cost was prohibitive, but my ortho offered a good, no interest, payment plan. Now I am six months into treatment, and so happy that I made the decision to go ahead. Already my teeth look so much nicer than I could have imagined after such a short time. Good luck with your decision. An investment in your dental health will be an investment in your overall health too.

[rhomboid]

My vote is braces, no veneers. Cost independant the natural result is so much nicer than the artifical one.

[MegP60+]

One more thing, don't know where you are from, but in Canada the cost of braces is a tax deductible medical expense, so that helps somewhat to recoup some of the money.
Also, I was told that veneers do not last forever and need to be replaced, which would be an expensive outlay for the future when you are retired. Good luck with improving the health of your teeth.

[Wireless]

My understanding is veneers don't last forever and the tooth surface also ends up damaged so continued treatment is needed. Also, if there are serious bite problems I'm not sure how this would work.

My dentist and orthodontist both believe correction of the the basic problem with natural teeth is best unless there are other issues. In my case, I had pre-existing conditions that made ortho more complicated - but its still better than other options and I don't have to worry as much about major costs in the future.

[alimommy1]

I am going to go thru with the consult I have scheduled and maybe get another quote from another dr. but I have to admit I respect my Dentist and she knows what a wreck I am about my teeth- bad dreams, obsessive thoughts alot of the time, super fearful, a regular cleaning takes everything I have to go thru it. I want to do this, I do- it's like I want to be a real adult and make a decision for myself, I would feel better if I could pay for it on my own. I will be checking back on this sight - there is an awful lot of support and compassion here about something that to me will be one of the toughest personal decisions i have ever made- thanks to everyone who responded.

It really is a better road to get a consult with an ortho and see what they say. Quick fixes can be possible with veneers, crowns, and other 'reconstructive options' but the best is really to have healthy natural teeth. I had braces the first time when I was 20, and I'm doing some retweaking now in my 30s. I recently switched dentists because the office I was going to was trying to get me to deal with the relapse issue by getting crowns and veneers. The dentist I switched to suggested I just go back to an ortho. I'd rather spend a few hundred or a thousand to an ortho and then have recontouring, bonding, or whitening to finish up the results than spend the same amount on a fix that wouldn't be permanent and might require replacement down the road. Besides, braces and appliances are not permanent, and usually do not require part of a tooth to be ground down - after you have a veneer or a crown you'd always have to have a veneer or a crown, and neither of those actually fix alignment, spacing, or a problem with your bite.

[CeliacMom]

I thought I was too old (42) for braces and it was hard to justify the expense in my mind but I am so glad I did it.

Please, please get consults from a few different orthos! I went to my friend's ortho and got a quote of $5000 and almost passed out. Then I went to my kids ortho (2 kids + 8 years of treatment = $$$$) thinking I would get a better price and he quoted me $2000 more! That was with the "family discount"!

My only regret is putting it off as long as I have. Good luck!

[RedDress]

If you live in a big city then there may be a dental school that offer discount prices.
If there is no dental school, consider a looking in the suburbs. In my experience - the prices go down when you are further from the center of the city.

[musiclady2340]

Have had braces for about 8 months now. I am 56 yrs old. We (my husband and I) decided to head off future dental problems by my getting braces. It is a huge decision. We did dip into our savings. About $7500 worth. It will be worth it. Every penny. Better to spend it now than later to fix problems that can arise with bite issues. Start with some consults. It doesn't mean you are getting braces. But it is a great place to start. Good luck in your decision.

[trampswife]

I missed in the OP if your insurance will cover any of it. We are paying for braces for me and my son with insurance and my flex plan. I decided that the best way was to reduce my tax burden and make the payment to my flex plan than to pay interest to the ortho.

My braces will be about 5200 for everything and son will be be 4900 for everything. DH will run the same as me next year. My insurance won't cover his, so all told for the three of us, out of pocket will be 4700 dollars. Check and see if you can pick up dental/ortho insurance someplace too. It may be MUCH cheaper.

[uvraise]

Some orthodontists do in-house financing. My ortho is one. I pay $150/month until paid in full. I have it drafted automatically from my checking account on the first of every month, there is no interest, there is no prepayment penalty and I can pay extra if I want. I did sign a contract agreeing to the terms and conditions, payment amount, duration, late fees and such, but it was done all in-house. My ortho has three different practices. so it may be beneficial to you to find an orthodontist with a bigger, more successful practice who can make offers similar to mine, for you.
Good luck whatever you decide to do!