4 Factors to Consider Before Starting Orthodontic Treatment

If you have a problem with your jaw alignment, teeth overcrowding, or crooked teeth, you may be considering orthodontic treatment. While making sure you’re healthy and comfortable should come above all else, there may be additional factors, like how urgent your treatment is and whether your dental insurance covers orthodontics, that could be helpful to think about before you undergo orthodontic treatment. 

Let’s examine how orthodontics work and four different factors that could affect whether or not orthodontic treatment is right for you now.

What is orthodontics?

When you visit an orthodontist, you often go to fix jaw misalignment, lessen teeth overcrowding, and straighten your teeth. Many young people are referred to an orthodontist by their primary dentist to fix problems as their teeth grow in and need space in their mouths. Some of the common tools orthodontists use to fix orthodontic issues include braces, retainers, and bands.1 

That said, orthodontic issues may arise later and require treatment when you’re older.1 Additionally, many people don’t get orthodontic treatment as children, so they seek it out as adults.  

4 considerations before you get orthodontic treatment

Everyone wants to be comfortable and look their best, and orthodontic treatment can help some people achieve those goals. At the same time, since orthodontic treatment potentially can be costly and inconvenient, there are a few different things you might want to think about before you go through it.

Let’s walk through 4 factors to take into account before you complete orthodontic treatment. 

1. Health

Your health should come first. If there’s an orthodontic problem that’s making your life more painful or uncomfortable, you may want to consider more immediate treatment. While costs and insurance coverage might be additional elements of your orthodontic treatment to consider, you might be more willing to forego ideal coverage and higher costs if you’re in significant pain. 

Sometimes, orthodontic treatments might be more cosmetic in nature, helping improve the way you look or speak. While these issues might also be detrimental to aspects of your livelihood, they might not require as immediate attention as problems that are hurting you.

2. Insurance coverage

Ideally, before undergoing orthodontic treatment, your insurance helps cover some of the expenses. Visiting an orthodontist can be expensive, with standard metal braces costing around between $3,000 to $7,000 out of pocket, without insurance.2

Some full coverage dental insurance policies include orthodontic coverage, while others require you to add an orthodontic plan separately. Depending on your budget and the coverage that you might be able to access, you may decide to look for dental plans that cover some orthodontic procedures, or look for a separate orthodontic insurance policy that covers more of the specific treatment that you hope to get done.

3. Budget

While insurance may cover some of your orthodontic costs, you may have to cover some other costs out-of-pocket. Before you decide to get orthodontic treatment, you may want to balance your budgetary needs with how much you think you need to get orthodontic treatment done.

If your current insurance plan doesn’t cover enough of the costs that you need to maintain a healthy budget, you may want to delay your treatment until you have a plan that does. 

4. Aesthetic goals

Looking and sounding your best can help you feel your best. Straightening your teeth after having crooked teeth your whole life, or fixing your jaw alignment so you speak more clearly, can help some people become more confident in their lives. Increased confidence might allow some people to succeed more in their workplace or in their social lives, which could have positive reverberations throughout the rest of their lives. 

Before undergoing treatment for purely aesthetic reasons, you may want to consider your budget and insurance more carefully. While it might feel like an urgent issue to fix, you might save more money and boost your confidence if you wait until you have the right insurance plan to cover more of your costs. 

Should you get orthodontic treatment?

If you have a painful or uncomfortable orthodontic issue, you should prioritize getting treatment. At the same time, it could be greatly beneficial for you to ensure that you have quality insurance coverage that helps you pay for a significant portion of your treatment.

Explore different insurance packages and look into whether your dental insurance comes with orthodontic coverage. You may want to speak with an insurance professional to see how much of your treatment would be covered under your current plan or to discover alternate plans that work for you. 

Sources:

1 WebMD – What Is an Orthodontist? Updated August 4, 2025. https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-an-orthodontist. Accessed September 2, 2025. 

2 Oral-B – How Much Do Braces Cost? Updated June 13, 2025. https://oralb.com/en-us/oral-health/life-stages/braces/how-much-do-braces-cost/. Accessed September 2, 2025. 

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