Protect Your Smile: The Costs and Benefits of Appliance Therapy

Appliance therapy is a common treatment for dental and orthodontic conditions such as sleep apnea, teeth misalignments, and TMJ disorders. Like most treatments, you might be curious about the cost of appliance therapy and whether it’s worth investing in. In this guide, let’s discuss the factors that can influence the price of appliance therapy in Chestnut Hill, MA, and its benefits.

The Cost of Appliance Therapy: Factors to Consider

Below are common factors that determine the price of your appliance therapy:

1. Type of appliance

Different oral conditions require appliances, and their prices may have. For instance, an orthodontic treatment like Invisalign can range from $3000 to $5000. On the other hand, getting a CPAP machine for sleep apnea can range from $500 to $1000. Getting a night guard for teeth grinding and clenching can cost about $300 to $800. Visit our dentist near you to determine how much your appliance will cost.

2. Customization

You can get an oral appliance from over the counter or a custom-made one from your dentist. While easily accessible and inexpensive, generic appliances don’t always provide the best comfort and efficiency. Some can be uncomfortable, bulky, and low quality, which can worsen your condition.

While it might be expensive, getting a custom-made appliance from your dentist is always the best option. Custom-made appliances are created using impressions or scans of your mouth structure, offering excellent comfort, aesthetics, effectiveness, and durability.

3. Dental professional fees

The price of appliance therapy can vary from one dentist to another. The cost can vary based on the dentist’s training, experience, location, and reputation, among other factors. However, do not settle for the cheapest.

While highly trained and experienced dentists may charge higher fees, they may offer better services than less experienced and cheaper dentists. You don’t want to risk your oral health to save a few dollars.

4. Insurance coverage

Some insurance plans cover a portion of appliance therapy. However, this depends on the specific condition and treatment. In most cases, insurance will only cover appliance therapy when it’s medically necessary. Consult your insurer and dentist to determine your coverage for appliance therapies. If you’re covered, be sure to ask about out-of-pocket expenses like deductibles to get a specific figure of what to expect.

Benefits of Investing in Appliance Therapy

While appliance therapy might cost you a few hundred or a few thousand dollars, they offer various benefits, including:

1. Improved oral health

Most appliance appliances are used to address oral issues like teeth misalignments and bruxism. Addressing these issues prevents potential oral issues like teeth damage, tooth decay, tooth loss, gum recession, gum disease, TMJ disorders, and jawbone loss. This helps you maintain a healthy smile.

2. Improved oral function

Appliance therapy helps address issues like TMJ disorders, misaligned teeth, and bruxism. These issues can cause difficulties or discomfort when eating, speaking, or even brushing. This allows you to perform oral functions better.

3. Alleviate discomfort

Untreated oral and dental issues like bruxism, teeth, misalignments, and TMJ disorders can cause mild to severe pain and discomfort in your teeth, jaw, joints, head, ears, and neck. Appliance therapy helps alleviate any discomfort or pain associated with these conditions.

4. Decreased risk of health issues

Untreated oral issues like bruxism, TMJ disorders, sleep apnea, and bruxism can cause sleep deprivation, malnutrition, and infections, increasing your risk of health issues like high blood pressure, heart problems, and hearing problems.

5. Improved quality of life

Appliance therapy helps address oral conditions, improving your oral function, sleep, nutrition, comfort, and overall health. This provides a better quality of life.

6. Long-term savings

While appliance therapy might require a higher initial investment, it prevents the progression of oral issues and other complications, which can cause the need for costly treatments in the future. For instance, addressing sleep apnea can help prevent severe sleep apnea, which can cause a wide array of issues like gum disease, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and glaucoma. These issues can cost you a considerable amount of money.

Final Verdict

By weighing the benefits and costs of appliance therapy, appliance therapy is indeed a worthwhile investment. Contact and book a dentist appoitment at Lexington Dental Group for more information about appliance therapy and its costs.