Metal braces, ceramic braces, or clear aligners?
This is the question we get most often at the free exam. Here is the plain version, and all three run on the same $188 a month plan.
Metal braces
Stainless steel brackets and wires, fixed to the front of your teeth. They stay on the whole way through, so nothing depends on you remembering to wear them. This is the workhorse, and it handles the widest range of cases, including bites that need real correcting. Kids and teens can pick their band colors at every adjustment.
Ceramic braces
Same fixed setup as metal, but the brackets are tooth-colored instead of silver, so they read as much quieter across a room. This is usually the pick for adults in client-facing work and for teens who want the certainty of braces without the shine. Often called clear braces, though they are not the same thing as clear aligners.
Clear aligners
A series of removable trays instead of brackets and wires. You take them out to eat and to brush, which is the part most people like. The trade-off is that they only work while they are actually in your mouth, so they suit someone who will keep them in. Ours are made in house rather than bought in from a brand, which is how we keep them on the same plan as braces.
You do not have to work this out on your own. Dr. Kole-James will look at what your teeth actually need at the free exam and tell you which of these will get you there, along with a written figure. If the money is the part you are weighing, the payment plan page lays out how the $188 a month and the $800 down work.