Even if you’re lucky enough to have dental insurance, orthodontic braces are becoming harder to afford as average prices for braces have risen even during the past two years when the economy has been in shambles. Even with insurance coverage, you’d still responsible for 50% or more of the cost of braces. Should you be one of 100 million Americans without any dental insurance coverage and are looking to get braces, don’t expect to get a break by going to a dental school or clinic to save money as they don’t do braces because they are considered “cosmetic” in nature and therefore medically unnecessary.

So what do you do if you can’t afford the high cost of orthodontic braces and don’t have dental insurance (or do have insurance but it doesn’t cover braces)? Join the club; the discount dental plan/club. These dental savings clubs offer members at-the-point-of-purchase discounts on braces –for children, adolescents and adults– of anywhere from 20% to as much as 50% or more depending upon where you live. The closer you live to a population center, the higher your discounts will be due to increased competition among orthodontists in those areas, at least according to an article with tips on these types of discount plans.

One such discount dental plan/club I am a member of that literally saved me thousands of dollars on orthodontic work is called Aetna Dental Access which I purchased several years ago.  I only pay something like $140 per year for the plan and it provides discounts on not only orthodontic but regular dental care for myself and my family. I highly recommend it.

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