Orthodontics has gone way beyond the traditional philosophy of straightening teeth. With new technologies and the introduction of an early treatment philosophy orthodontics can help change the way one bites, chews, looks, feels and even breathes. However, the one thing that has not changed is the concern of hidden fees. Our goal at Dental Works 4 Kids is to help understand the costs of orthodontics as we believe every child, teen and adult should be able to benefit from orthodontic treatment. In the past many orthodontists would charge an initial consultation fee. The reason for this was that certain costly exam procedures were needed to properly diagnose a case. With the advent of new technologies and computers this has all changed. There are no costly exam procedures anymore thus it has become standard to offer a free consultation to help understand how orthodontics can benefit you. There are two types of treatment fees. Approximately 80-85% of children can benefit from early preventative treatment. However, parents are concerned will it cost more. Let's start with the 15% of children who can wait for full treatment when they are older. There will be one cost associated with this type of treatment. Now for those that need to start earlier the overall cost should be the same. Half the work is done when the child is growing and developing and the other half is done when all the permanent teeth erupt to fine-tune the bite. Typically the overall cost should be split to reflect the amount of work done when younger and the amount of work left when older. In general, early preventative treatment can work out significantly less expensive as the case becomes much easier to treat and won't require complicated treatment such as extraction of permanent teeth or jaw surgery when older. Lastly there should be no extra charge for retainers. Retainers and a minimum of a 1 year follow up afterwards is a part of the overall treatment. At Dental Works 4 Kids we even see kids much longer than that. If there is ever a problem you should not have to worry about paying to come see the orthodontist. Hopefully this helps understand a bit more regarding the costs and possible hidden costs of orthodontic treatment. You can always learn more at www.dentalworks4kids.com