The Cost of Invisalign in NYC

Many adults who want straighter teeth decide on Invisalign for their treatment. With its inconspicuous design and comfortable aligners, it’s no wonder so many patients choose the Invisalign system over traditional braces. If you’re in the process of researching your options, you may be wondering: how much does Invisalign cost in NYC?

Because every patient has their own unique needs, there’s no single set price for Invisalign. The cost depends on the amount of movement needed to achieve your treatment goals. The average Invisalign cost in NYC is between $3500 and $8000; patients who only need minor correction will see their costs on the lower end of that range, while patients with significant orthodontic issues will fall on the higher end of the scale simply because they need more sets of aligners and more visits to our office.

We should also note that the price of Invisalign is fully inclusive. You’re not just paying for your clear aligners; you’re paying for your digital impressions and any other imaging needed, your dental appointments, the time spent putting together your treatment plan, as well as the 20 to 30 aligners you will need to straighten your teeth and correct your bite.

The cost of Invisalign may seem high, but comparing it to the price of traditional metal braces helps put it into perspective. In New York City, you can expect to pay between $3000 and $7000 for metal braces. As you can see, the price range isn’t all that different for Invisalign versus conventional braces. While Invisalign is often slightly more expensive, there are also situations where Invisalign works out to be less expensive—it all depends on the treatment you need and how much your teeth and bite need to be corrected.

Most patients who are considering Invisalign aligners have already ruled out getting traditional metal braces, though. So how does the cost of Invisalign compare to clear ceramic braces or lingual braces, which are affixed to the backs of the teeth instead of the front? Ceramic braces range between $4000 and $8000, while lingual braces can cost up to $10,000. When comparing the cost of Invisalign to other discreet options for orthodontic treatment, Invisalign comes out on top.

Cost alone isn’t the only reason for choosing Invisalign over clear ceramic braces or lingual braces. The Invisalign system offers a better overall experience for orthodontic treatment. Patients prefer Invisalign due to the following reasons:

No matter which type of braces you choose, you can’t escape the fact that they cannot be removed—they’re on your teeth 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until your treatment is complete. While you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment, you won’t be able to eat certain foods that have the potential to damage or break off your brackets. In contrast, with Invisalign all you have to do is remove your aligners before you eat or drink and you can continue having popcorn at the movies, chewing gum, and eating all of your favorite foods.

The fact that Invisalign aligners are removable makes oral hygiene easier too. With braces, you’ll need a floss threader (or a lot of manual dexterity) to get floss under your wires and you’ll also have to take extra care to ensure that the plaque that builds up around your brackets is brushed away to prevent stains and cavities. This adds a lot of time onto your daily dental care routine. Invisalign allows you to floss and brush as usual by taking your aligners out first. Better hygiene is a significant advantage when it comes to Invisalign—many patients who have braces end up disappointed when their brackets are removed at the end of treatment and they find that their teeth are stained and need to be whitened.

Invisalign aligners are lower profile than braces, fitting flush against your teeth. You won’t have to worry about wires poking your mouth or brackets causing sores on the insides of your lips or cheeks. There are no visits every few weeks to have your braces adjusted and wires tightened, causing headaches, jaw pain, and tooth soreness for days afterwards. Instead, you’ll switch to the next set of aligners at home and they’ll gently move your teeth.

No one will know you’re wearing Invisalign aligners because they’re virtually Invisible. Your coworkers, classmates, friends, and strangers won’t realize you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment when you smile. If you’re self-conscious about needing braces as an adult, there’s no better solution than Invisalign.

Invisalign works—and for most patients it works just as well as or even better than traditional metal braces. Advances in Invisalign technology have made it a treatment option for nearly all orthodontic cases, including open-bites, crossbites, overbites, underbites, misalignment, gaps between teeth, and more. When you wear your clear aligners as instructed for 20 to 22 hours a day at a minimum, your overall treatment time will be comparable to that of traditional metal braces. In fact, some patients see a reduced treatment time and end up needing to wear their Invisalign aligners for less time than they would have needed with metal braces.

You’re not making any compromises when you choose Invisalign. Invisalign feels great, looks great, and works great. Patients are not only thrilled with the results once the treatment is complete, but they’re also happy that the process is simple, quick, and comfortable.

If you’ve decided that Invisalign is the best treatment option for you but you’re worried about the cost involved, there’s good news: there are some terrific solutions for making the cost of Invisalign more manageable. Many of these options can be combined, making Invisalign treatment affordable for almost everyone.

Dental insurance is the most common way that patients reduce the expense of Invisalign treatment. When Invisalign was first introduced, it was rarely covered by dental insurance, so there’s a common misconception among patients that it still isn’t covered. Luckily, this is no longer the case—if your dental insurance plan covers the cost of orthodontia, it is very likely that it also covers at least some of the costs of Invisalign aligners.

When you visit our office for a consultation, our billing coordinator will provide you with an estimate for the costs your insurance will pay as well as for what you will be responsible for out-of-pocket. You may also want to call your dental insurance carrier directly to ask about their benefits if you’re not sure.

If you have a flexible spending account or a health savings account, those funds can be put towards the cost of Invisalign. Any Invisalign costs not covered by your dental insurance are considered HSA- and FSA-eligible by the IRS.

With dental discount plans, you’ll pay an annual fee and in return, you’ll receive a dental discount card which entitles you to discounted services. In the case of a costly service like Invisalign, such plans are often well worth the annual fees.

At DDS Group, we offer a Preferred Rate Plan that covers full costs of a variety of preventive dentistry services like x-rays, oral exams, and teeth cleaning and 10 percent off all other services, including Invisalign. If you use your 10 percent discount with us on Invisalign treatment, your plan may end up paying for itself in that one service alone—add in the other included services and it’s easy to see why so many of our patients choose to purchase our Preferred Rate Plan year after year.

Your employer may also be a member of our Corporate Rate Plan, which provides rate reductions for businesses of 10 or more employees. If you own a small business yourself, talk to our staff about purchasing a Corporate Rate Plan that can be used by your family as well as your employees and their families.

CareCredit is similar to a credit card; you can apply for CareCredit online and, if approved, you can finance the costs of any dental procedure, including Invisalign, with options for zero percent interest rates and affordable monthly payments that fit into your budget. CareCredit makes Invisalign treatment attainable even for patients who do not have dental insurance coverage. If your dental insurance does not cover the full cost of Invisalign, CareCredit can also be used to pay for the difference.

Dr. Lisa Handler and Dr. Stuart Schreiber are both Invisalign Premier Providers, and Dr. Schreiber ranks in the top fifth percentile of Invisalign doctors. There’s no one better when it comes to providing Invisalign treatment in NYC. If you’d like to schedule a consultation with one of our cosmetic dentists to learn more about whether Invisalign is right for you and how much your treatment will cost, contact us today at 212-269-6655 to make an appointment at our Lower Manhattan office.