I have very specific memories of being 17, coming down the stairs in the morning, turning the corner into my family’s kitchen and the greeting my father would give me.
He would be standing as he made lunch, washed the dishes, or sat at the table reading the paper. The moment I entered the room my father would pause, stop whatever he was doing, and look up. Then, barely concealing his self-satisfaction, he would paste this outrageously exaggerated smile on his face. He was sure to bear every one of his teeth.
He would then stand or sit perfectly still and stare expectedly. Just waiting for me to return his overdramatized slightly maniacal expression, which I always did.
He loved me and all, but this wasn’t the heartwarming greeting one might imagine. No.
This was how my father greeted me every day. Every sing time I walked into any room in the days shortly after I had my orthodontics removed.
More specifically after he had finally finished paying for my orthodontic treatment.
I get it now, Dad
This over-dramatized smile campaign went on sporadically for what seemed like months. Maybe even years after I no longer wore my traditional braces. My father would paste this weird grin on his face and just wait for me to respond. Expecting me to indulge him by revealing my perfect, expensive new smile. Each follow-up appointment to check my retainer reignited it with new energy.
30 years later as I sat in that same orthodontist’s office, waiting for my son to emerge with his new, perfect, and expensive smile – I felt that same ridiculous, exaggerated and expectant smile spread across my face.
My son, wearing a skeptical expression, did kindly indulge his mother. Taking in my expression, he shook his head slightly and responded with the exaggerated smile he knew I was looking for. As a good son, he held it long enough for me to appreciate the fruits of our orthodontist’s labor.
Listen, I was happy with the work done. I am grateful to have been in a position to afford orthodontics. I love our orthodontist and sought him out 30 years after he had worked his magic on my complicated teeth. We feel fortunate that he, and his daughter who has joined his practice, had the expertise to fix an issue two other orthodontists I had taken my son to before them did not.
But I can’t lie, because my kids are close in age, so too are the costs for orthodontic work. And unfortunately for all of us, neither of my children inherited their father’s perfectly straight – never orthodontically corrected, inexpensive teeth.
Treatment costs and timelines for various orthodontic issues vary – a lot
If orthodontics only aimed at straighter teeth, perhaps fewer parents would be inclined to pay thousands just for a beautiful smile. But many of us need orthodontic care to fix dental issues to avoid health consequences in the long term. The right treatment can be a great way to help with disease prevention and make good oral health possible.
Even with good oral health in mind, and the benefit of insurance coverage or dental plans, any type of braces mean a significant financial commitment. After the first step of a free consultation, the overall cost can range dramatically. Plus with so many treatment options available, an insurance provider may not cover all of the costs for the different types of braces.
The traditional metal braces covered by most dental insurance plans that include orthodontic coverage are only one option. When you add in the choice of treatments such as clear aligners, things can change. Especially since not every insurance company necessarily fully covers the cost of Invisalign.
Based on their individual needs my kids were not a good choice for Invisalign. But my son ended up being one of those complex cases that required a longer treatment time than most. The duration of the treatment, especially with interruptions caused by a pandemic, might have made the whole process feel lengthy.
Then there were the additional costs after treatment. If my son broke his retainer one more time, I am sure my credit card company would flag the orthodontists. Because how many charges could come from one place over the course of six months? Bless that child. Anyways, fair warning – replacing retainers is one of those unexpected out-of-pocket costs that you can’t budget for and that my plan didn’t cover.
Cost should be a significant consideration, but hopefully not a deterrent to getting Orthodontic care
Thankfully, many orthodontics do not want the cost of treatment to be a deterrent. They know it is a significant investment for parents – especially when you have more than one child that needs orthodontic dental treatment. Many, like my kids’ orthodontist, offer a monthly payment plan for orthodontic services.
This is very helpful because even those lucky enough to have orthodontic insurance know that companies have a maximum price they will cover for treatment. Our family reached this maximum – quickly. Treatment became one of those out-of-pocket expenses for our family which was more manageable through monthly payments. Checking for financing options and getting a good understanding of your insurance coverage before committing to treatment might make the costs more manageable in the long run.
The cost of braces didn’t deter me…. but I cannot help but think of what could have been.
In the weeks leading up to getting their braces off, the pandemic meant I could not go into the office. This left me sitting in my car just waiting. For more than two years I had invested in my children’s teeth and dental health.
I don’t think it makes me a terrible parent to admit that with little else to do, the cost of the thing came to mind.
Repeatedly.
The average cost of braces varies dramatically. It wouldn’t be fair to give an estimate of what you can expect to pay in your specific case. That said, what I can tell you is what else I could have invested in.
You do the math.
10 things I could have bought instead of paying for my kids’ orthodontics
One: Books. So many Books.
If you’ve been here awhile, you know I love to read. Looking at the average cost of a novel, instead of correcting underbites and crooked teeth, I could have purchased 434 hardcover books.
I could have bought all of those 10 Must Read Books for Black Parents – and given a copy to every one of those folks in my comically large extended family who desperately need to read them.
Or – heck – I probably could have bought all the books my kids needed to become orthodontists and then they could have fixed their own darn teeth.
Two: A cleaner house. Well, maybe.
I stand by my claim that it is ok to be ok with mess. That said, maybe it would also be ok if I had an army of robots aimlessly cleaning my house?! What kind of difference would it make to my day if I didn’t personally have to clean?
Instead of paying for orthodontics, I could have used the money to purchase a Roomba for every room of my house. And the garage.
And the shed.
The expensive one that avoids pet accidents and can empty itself!
I have pretty much given up the hope of having a clean house while my children continue to live in mine. And my dog would move out with that many autonomous vacuums wandering about. But now since choosing to pay for orthodontics, I’ll never know the difference a dozen Roombas could have made in my world.
Three: Pretty Things. For me!
Based on average prices at one of my favourite Etsy jewelers, I could have purchased myself 253 pairs of earrings.
That’s right instead of putting metal in my children’s faces, I could have been blinged out in it from head to toe.
Four: More Books.
If I chose paperback versions, I could have purchased 612 books! Six hundred and twelve!
Five: Fixing these ridiculously under-cared-for hands and fingernails
Instead of orthodontics, I could have paid for 285 manicures.
It is not lost on me that my hands and nails could certainly use some TLC. I am a writer – I look at my hands all day, every day. Meanwhile, my kids are teenagers, goodness knows with how little they emote and come out of their rooms, I only see their teeth every few weeks.
Six: Wine.
I could have purchased around 500 bottles of wine. Had I appreciated what awaited me as I navigated parenting my kids through these teenage years, I’m pretty sure I would have gotten the wine instead of the braces.
Seven: Travel
With the way prices for flights fluctuate nowadays, this might vary significantly, but in the last two years instead of paying for braces it would have been possible for me to make around 20 roundtrip flights to New York City.
Not to get ahead of myself, but I feel pretty sure that if I had gone that frequently, I definitely could have met Trevor Noah before he left the Daily Show. Maybe I could have used my Canadian wit and charm to convince him to stay. Maybe my paying for orthodontics instead of flights to New York ruined late-night TV and changed the trajectory of a young man’s life!
Eight: Help Black entrepreneurs realize their dream
Since I would have needed a place to stay and to converse with Trevor, I could have supported a Black-owned establishment and visited the Akwaaba Luxury Bed and Breakfast Inns each and every time I went to NYC.
Perhaps if I’d invited Trevor over, he would have mentioned the Inn in the Daily Show. The free promotion would have had led reservations to skyrocket – that family could have been assured of the kind of generational wealth I’m sure they had been dreaming of ever since they opened their doors.
Nine: Travel to warmer places
Not to get too big for my bridges, but if I wanted to dream bigger than Trevor and being a catalyst for generational wealth – I could have flown to Tahiti 8 times. Obviously I would have purchased many things from Black-Owned Self Care Brands to bring with me on the trip!
Ten: Living my best Rich Auntie life
Lastly, I cannot even count the ways the Rich Auntie in me could have thrived. Actually, I can. I could have purchased a minimum of 3 showstopping outfits. And yes, that’s from each retailer on our Rich Auntie-approved list of Black-Owned Canadian Brands.
I have no regrets about the cost of braces … I think.
This is not an exhaustive list.
Needless to say, I stand by my choice to invest in my children’s orthodontics. And sure, lamenting about the niceties I could have afforded instead of paying for orthodontics is totally a first-world problem.
That said, I now understand my dad’s enthusiasm and paste a similar maniacal smile on my face while waiting for my son to return it.
I know we parents sacrifice far more for far less for their children. And of I feel fortunate to have had the means to pay for braces and to have found an orthodontist who would take my concerns seriously and who fixed my kid’s teeth.
I know
This is just a window into one mother’s daydreaming. I’m allowed.
