u/sawaikaran

I (46M) have the following quotes for Invisalign in the Atlanta area.

I will be paying in full and with no insurance.

Aggregate treatment time range was quoted at 14-24 months.

**1) Village Orthodontics, Dunwoody:**

Cost: $5880

Courtesy discount (whatever that means): -$200

Pay in full amount with card (3% off): $5509.60

Pay in full amount with cash (5% off): $5396

Post-treatment:

One set of Essix retainers and one year of retention visits

Extra retainers: $125 per arch, $250 total.

Upon prompting, was informed that this would be Invisalign retainers, since I was doing Invisalign (Vivera?).

Visit notes:

Neutral/Positive. Didn't spend a whole lot of time going over teeth movement, except to show final result. Said it was a simple case. Had to point out the slight misalignment in my lower left jaw, which prompted the dr to explain that he will be using rubber bands on that side. Also the only one who saw and caught a budding cavity at the very back of my molar which I took care of promptly at my dentist. Emailed me post-visit with detailed steps for treatment, along with all records (X-rays, 3D scans, photos).

**2) Cohen Orthodontics, Smyrna:**

Cost: $6980 (Need to ask about a pay-in-full discount).

Post-treatment:

One set of Essix retainers and one year of retention visits

Visit notes:

Positive. Each employee was warm and positive, and Dr Cohen himself was very reassuring and comforting, saying that they will take care of me and I was going to have a great smile at the end of it. A gentle, soft-spoken man. Listened in depth but also did not spend too much time explaining the teeth movement, although did go over teeth aspects in detail and the kind of things that I might consider doing at the end of treatment (e.g. microplaning on some teeth). Said that it was a simple case. Left the office with the feeling that I was in good hands.

**3) Buckhead Orthodontics, Atlanta/Buckhead:**

Cost: $7750

Paid-in-full (3% discount): $7518

Orthodontic records fee (included in the treatment cost): $750 (not sure why it was broken out separately)

Post-treatment:

One set of Essix retainers and one year of retention visits

Additionally, they have a 5-yr program with upfront cost of $600 and $80 per arch.

Visit notes: Positive. Felt business-like right after the Cohen visit, but that's not a negative. Longest visit. Dr Everson spent a lot of time on the X-ray and the movement of individual teeth, and also caught my lower jaw misalignment without prompting, although I'm sure every other ortho caught it too, even if they didn't mention it explicitly. They use Spark! aligners. This was the most detailed visit so far.

**4) Kaplan Orthodontics, Dunwoody:**

Cost: $7545

Discount (supposedly only for July): -$750

Paid-in-full cost: $6387 (6% off of $6795 after July discount)

Post-treatment:

Lifetime retainers included in treatment cost (Vivera) - $39 total for BOTH arches.

Visit notes: Negative. Dr Kaplan spent a lot of time on the X-ray and explaining that he wouldn't be able to get my front teeth as straight with Invisalign as braces due to less anchoring (no one else said this). Didn't stick around to explain anything about the 3D scan and teeth movement. Vague and missing details. Unconvincing visit. The only visit that felt "salesman-y". Office worker made subtle comments regarding how my house location was perfect for me regarding their office and asked when they can "call me back".

5. My dentist, **Dr. Scott Veal, Dunwoody** (Not a real option - Just putting it here for comparison)

Cost: $5500 (need paid in full pre-treatment, no discount)

Post-treatment:

4 sets of Vivera retainers included in treatment cost (Vivera)

Teeth whitening

He recommends Invisalign to arrest the slight gum recession along my molars, which is occurring because of misalignment and extra pressure on them because my front teeth are not touching. He has explained clearly and convincingly why I need to get my teeth aligned for fixing gum recession and molar pressure. However, I view this cynically because he has never mentioned this BEFORE I asked him for an Invisalign quote.

He also said that a lot of his patients don't feel satisfied after their experience with orthodontists because the orthos focus too much on "straightening teeth" and not enough on the bite. This is a very contradictory statement to make, considering that orthos go to school solely to fix the bite.

He is a very good dentist and I plan to stick with him.

The biggest reason he is not an option is because he is not an orthodontist. He started offering Invisalign sometime in the last 10 yrs.

Order of preference (without taking cost into account):

Buckhead Orthodontics

Cohen Orthodontics

Village Orthodontics

Order of preference (taking cost into account):

Village Orthodontics

Cohen Orthodontics

Buckhead Orthodontics

How much can I bargain down the total cost and number of Vivera retainers post-treatment for paid-in-full price?

Cost is not a real issue, but a > $2000 difference b/w two established orthos located not too far away from each other (Village and Buckhead) seems crazy.

I'm also concerned about the post-treatment retainer costs, and not enough retainers being included in the total price.

Please help me make a decision. Any and all advice appreciated. TIA.