Cost of Invisalign/Braces for teenage/tween boys

Parent of two teens here with local ortho. Elder child got braces in 2022 for $6K, and they were on about two years. Took longer than we expected. Definitely experienced bouts of pain/discomfort along the way but my spouse, who had braces in the 80s, observed it seemed much less than in the olden days. Child's teeth look fantastic now IMHO. 

Younger child got Invisalign in 2024 for $5685, there was a choice between that and braces (older child did not have a choice, their teeth were a mess). Chose Invisalign to avoid the "torture". We were told about a year. Child does not consistently wear the devices, does not scan promptly, has lost or let the dog eat them repeatedly, and we're going on 14 months with no end in sight. If I were to do it over again, I'd do braces for that one too!

These costs seem reasonable. I had braces as a child and disliked them, so we chose Invisalign for our two kids, but in hindsight, it wasn’t the best decision for us. They struggled to remember to wear them consistently, and my older child eventually switched to braces. I’m currently using Invisalign myself, and it’s working really well. Just something to keep in mind, braces may be a better option for kids who tend to be forgetful.

We went with isong on solano. Was the best price and the experience was wonderful! The doc and all the staff were great!

I had braces as a teen and Invisalign as an adult and it really isn’t that different in terms of torture so I wouldn’t worry about that aspect. It’s all moving your teeth. It all hurts. 

As an adult, Invisalign was great because I was 100% compliant and it went by super fast. But most kids are not super compliant and it can take a much longer time than regular braces. I ended up opting for regular braces for my kids and they were done more quickly than some of their friends with Invisalign. 

My rising 8th grader got metal braces late last year for $5k on a 18-24 month schedule, but in Pinole so it’s a bit of a trek. His friend got something similar in Berkeley this year around $7k. 

My kid ended up with a facial injury this year, and it was helpful to have the metal braces in place as part of the healing process. They would have had to install metal braces but instead his existing braces were able to help the healing right away. 

I also had an older kid who did regular braces and a younger who did Invisalign and also wish we'd gone with the regular braces for the younger one. You need to have a very responsible, motivated teenager for the Invisalign to work. I also felt like our orthodontist really pushed Invisalign for the younger kid and it was the wrong choice. Both were about $6000. $9K seems high to me, but we did pay extra for the kid who needed extractions. Good luck!

The quotes seem reasonable, based on my own family's experience. With Invisalign, it is easier to care for one's teeth. However, my daughter (a 6th grader at the time) opted for braces because she knew that she didn't want to deal with taking the Invisalign retainers in and out. Braces don't hurt as much as they used to, except in the very beginning. I had them myself about 10 years ago as an adult. 

For the same price, I would chose traditional braces ANY DAY. We have experience with both.

Invisalign: Child MUST be compliant for 23 hours a day. They need to brush and floss their teeth at school after snack and lunch and get the trays back in. They need to be really diligent and responsible. Contrary to what you may think, the Invisalign is painful when the trays are changed every week. They are tight and require some forcing to get in properly. So unlike traditional braces where you may have some discomfort for a few days after the braces are tightened, with Invisalign you will have discomfort every week. Likewise, because it's uncomfortable, you run the risk of your child just taking the trays out for relief, preventing any benefit. In my opinion, finished "Invisalign smiles" are not as "tight" or polished as traditional braces, which get teeth super tight and even. Invisalign will not do that. You may also still need rubber bands with Invisalign. Also, they are not truly "invisible" and speech is noticably affected by the trays.

Traditional Braces: You can't eat all the same foods so your child needs to be mindful of what they eat. Food also gets stuck in braces and they need to constantly clean them. There are great flossers made for braces which really help. When wires are changes and wires tightened there is discomfort for a few days but then it's done until the next appointment in 6-8 weeks. Appointments can go long - an hour plus - for some of the major wire changes. The final smile after a traditional braces treatment can't be beat. You won't get the same perfection from Invisalign and anyone who says you will is not telling the truth. No speech issues with the braces. Some rubbing on the side of the mouth and lips from brackets which doesn't really go away until the braces are removed.

There are definite pros and cons to both but after after dealing with both types for my kids, I see no advantage to Invisalign (one of my kids had it for a year and then switched to traditional braces because she didn't like it) and love my kids' final smiles after years of traditional braces.

I strongly recommend getting a few opinions. For my 9 year old, we were told she would need extractions and possibly braces vs. expander. We went with Isong on solano who said invisalign would suffice.  I was uncertain but my daughter felt strongly. She was super compliant and within 9 months her teeth were beautiful, no extractions needed, the tooth that was completely unable to come forward due to lack of space is now happily in front. We have been extremely happy with Dr. Song. 

Good luck

My son is currently a year into Invisalign, he got them right at the start of 9th grade. Quote was for 18 months of treatment at $6,800 (plus about $500 for x-rays) which seems typical for the area. Our Delta Dental PPO reimburses $1,500 (note that this may be split between start and end of treatment) and we also used FSA funds.

He wanted Invisalign over braces because he does martial arts and they are more comfortable with a mouth guard and he has been really good about managing them. I bought him multiple empty cases to hold the trays when he takes them out so he could have one at home, and one each for his backpack and his sports bag, and I think that has helped prevent losing them. He changes trays weekly and we just go in every 8 weeks for checks and new sets - I believe it is fewer appointments overall than traditional braces. He did have to wear rubber bands for the first 6 months of treatment. I think compliance with Invisalign depends a lot on your child's general level of responsibility and their own motivation for the treatment to succeed, so use your judgement there. In our case Invisalign and braces would have cost roughly the same.