Everything on this site in one place: the published cost data, the appliance comparison, the free tools and quizzes, the retainers and smile problems pages, and
Everything on this site in one place: the published cost data, the appliance comparison, the free tools and quizzes, the retainers and smile problems pages, and the longer articles. No account, no fee, nothing to sign up for.
Know what treatment should cost before anyone quotes it. The orthodontics cost guide sets out the published ranges for all four appliances. Metal braces are $3,000 to $7,500, ceramic braces $2,000 to $8,500, clear aligners $3,000 to $7,000 and lingual braces $5,000 to $13,000. It also carries the insurance share bands and the Invisalign published case example at a $7,000 fee with $5,600 covered and a $1,400 balance. Work through the question list at the end before signing any fee agreement.
The appliance comparison puts metal braces, ceramic braces, clear aligners and lingual braces side by side on published cost band, visibility, visit pattern and the cases each one usually suits. Read it before a consultation and you will know which questions to ask, though only an orthodontist can say which appliance suits a particular bite.
The free tools and calculators hub holds the cost calculators, the appliance comparison quizzes and the checklists for preparing a consultation. Nothing there needs an account and nothing is charged. The quizzes are a way to find out what you do not yet know about braces, aligners, retention and payment before you sit in a chair.
Treatment does not end when the appliance comes off, and the retainers page explains why. Retention is usually permanent, whether that is a fixed wire behind the teeth, a removable retainer or both. No retainer price is published anywhere, so ask the practice what its retention policy covers and what a replacement costs before you start.
The smile problems pages cover the alignment and bite issues families ask about most, in plain language. Each page explains what the issue means, why it is worth an evaluation, and which questions to bring to a consultation. Nothing on those pages is a diagnosis, and no page there is a substitute for an examination by a licensed orthodontist.
Background articles live in the blog, and the video page is the reserved slot for a filmed walkthrough of a first orthodontic evaluation. No clip is published there yet, and nothing is claimed until one is filmed locally. Until then, the written guides cover the same ground.
Trying to decide whether to book anything at all? Read how the free matching works first, then send a request if it suits you.
Related: orthodontics cost guide · FAQ · braces vs clear aligners · how the free matching works · request quotes.
Yes. Every guide, comparison, calculator, quiz and checklist on this site is free and needs no account. The only form on the site is the optional quote request, and there is no charge for the introduction to a practice.
The cost bands and insurance shares are published figures from named sources, quoted as published rather than rounded. The local facts, such as the Loudoun population and growth figures, the LCPS enrolment and the Virginia school-entry requirement, are cited on the page that uses them. The sources are the Census Bureau, Loudoun County Public Schools and the Code of Virginia.
Cost calculators, comparisons and checklists. No sign-up.
Estimate the range for a case in about a minute.
Every published appliance range, in one page.
What to bring and what to ask before you commit.
Ten questions on costs, timing and coverage.
Eight questions that point to an appliance path.
Estimator, coverage checker, financing, payment plans, retainer cost, value over time
Appliance selector, braces vs aligners, timeline, treatment and school-calendar planners
Practice questions, records and X-ray checklist, second opinion, smile check