How Much Do Braces Cost in Florida? (With and Without Insurance)

You’d like a number before you book a consultation, and that’s fair. Here’s one figure with its source attached: CareCredit’s 2023 cost study puts the average cost of metal braces in Florida at $6,219.

Hold that number loosely. It’s an average, it covers metal braces only, it’s before any insurance, and it comes from a study commissioned by CareCredit, a healthcare financing company. Your own fee could land above or below it.

This guide explains why, shows the monthly payment examples we publish at Petrover Orthodontics with and without an orthodontic benefit, and ends with the questions that make two quotes comparable.

The Florida average and what it can and can’t tell you

CareCredit’s braces cost page lists an average cost of metal braces for every state and the District of Columbia. The figures come from the 2023 Synchrony Average Procedural Cost Study, which the page says was conducted by ASQ360 Market Research on behalf of Synchrony’s CareCredit. The page also notes that its prices don’t include accessory gear or potential insurance coverage. It doesn’t publish the sample size or study method, so we can’t tell you how many practices or patients stand behind the Florida figure.

With those limits in mind, the data does tell you two useful things:

• Florida sits near the middle. Florida’s $6,219 average for metal braces is the 27th lowest of the 51 figures in CareCredit’s 2023 table (the 50 states plus DC).
• It’s under the national figure. The same 2023 study puts the national average for metal braces at $6,343.

What it can’t tell you is what your treatment will cost, what ceramic braces or clear aligners cost in Florida, what fees look like in Palm Beach County specifically, or what a practice includes in its price.

For a sense of how appliance type shifts the average, CareCredit also publishes national figures. These are national, not Florida, and they mix two study years:

National averages (CareCredit, 2023 and 2024 studies)

Because the ceramic and lingual rows come from a different year than the metal and aligner rows, read the table for rough scale, not for a precise gap between types.

An average is a starting point for a conversation, not a quote. It can’t tell you whether a price is right for your treatment.

What moves your number

The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) says treatment costs are influenced by factors such as the type of treatment, how complex it is, and how long it lasts. The AAO also notes that the cost of treatment varies widely and that no two patients are alike.

Complexity. Our cost page gives examples for two kinds of treatment: comprehensive and limited. It describes comprehensive treatment this way: “This category is the most common and has a significant range. A ‘less-complex’ case might include simple crowding or open spaces between teeth. More complex cases would include those with bite misalignment due to a cross-bite or overjet, jaw irregularities, or a narrow upper arch.” Ask at your consultation which category fits your case.

Appliance. Metal braces, ceramic braces, and clear aligners aren’t the same product, and their national averages in the table above differ. If you’re weighing them, our guide to the different types of braces, from metal and ceramic to Invisalign walks through how they compare.

Length of treatment. The AAO also names duration as a cost factor. Ask at your consultation how long your own treatment is likely to take.

What we publish: our monthly payment examples

We publish example monthly payments on our cost of treatment page “to give you an idea about the costs and how they might be structured.” Here they are exactly as they appear there:

Four things to know before you read too much into the table:

• It’s a rough ballpark. In our cost page’s own words, “Your fees could be less or more, depending on the complexity of the treatment needed.”
• These are monthly figures, not totals. The page doesn’t state how many monthly payments a plan runs, so multiplying a monthly figure by a guess won’t give you a real total.
• Every example starts with a $500 down payment.
• The rows are grouped by treatment type, not by appliance. The table doesn’t separate braces from Invisalign.

What’s included matters too. Our cost page says: “From diagnostic records, to the necessary appliances throughout the treatment, retainers, and even follow-up appointments, EVERYTHING is included in your treatment plan.” It also notes that “we will only be able to provide an accurate fee for your treatment once we’ve conducted a complimentary consultation and treatment plan.”

How insurance changes the monthly figure

FAIR Health’s guide to paying for orthodontics says plans that cover orthodontics “often pay up to 50 percent of the charge.” It adds that coverage is typically limited to children, and that there’s often a lifetime maximum for orthodontics, usually separate from the yearly maximum your plan pays for other dental care.

In our table above, each treatment type appears twice: once “without Orthodontic Benefits” and once “with $1500 of Orthodontic Benefits.” With the benefit, both the low and high ends of the monthly example come down, while the $500 down payment stays the same.

Your own plan sets the details. The AAO notes that insurance typically covers either a percentage of the treatment cost or a fixed benefit amount. It suggests asking your insurer about any lifetime maximum or age limit for orthodontic coverage, and whether your orthodontist needs to be in-network.

Here’s the part we handle for you. Our payment and insurance page says our team will “Verify your orthodontic benefits before you begin” and “File all claims on your behalf.” It also says “We work with most PPO plans” and shows the logos of Aetna, Cigna, UHC, Assurant, Guardian, MetLife, Humana, Delta Dental, and Solstice, with Humana also listed under HMO plans. Check that page for the current list.

For how orthodontic coverage works in detail, see our guide to whether insurance covers braces.

Other ways families pay for braces

Insurance is only one piece. Some of these routes are ours, and some sit outside the practice entirely.

• In-house financing. Our cost page says “we offer interest-free financing options, customized to your unique budget.” Our payment page says “we offer in-house financing and tailor monthly payments” and lists “Auto-pay” among its popular options.
• Discounts. Our payment page lists “Family & sibling discounts” and “Pay-in-full savings.” The AAO says some practices may offer discounts for referrals, and suggests asking your orthodontist if any discounts are available.
• Health savings account (HSA) or FSA. IRS Publication 502 includes braces in its description of dental treatment. For a flexible spending arrangement (FSA), IRS Publication 969 says qualified medical expenses are “those specified in the plan that would generally qualify for the medical and dental expenses deduction,” so check your plan’s terms. Our payment page says we’re “HSA/FSA friendly”, and we can provide treatment documentation for reimbursement requests. For the tax side of the question, see our post on whether braces are tax deductible.
• Florida Medicaid, for those under 21. Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration lists orthodontic treatment among the dental services Medicaid reimburses for recipients under 21 when the treatment is medically necessary. Orthodontic treatment isn’t on its list for adults 21 and over. Services come through a Medicaid dental plan; the state’s managed care site lists Liberty Dental and DentaQuest. Ask your dental plan what it needs to approve treatment as medically necessary, and ask any orthodontist’s office, including ours, whether it accepts your plan.
• Charitable programs, for children under 18. The AAO names Gifted Smiles, Smiles Change Lives, and Smile for a Lifetime as programs that provide orthodontic treatment to children under 18 at low or no cost. Check with each program directly about eligibility.

How to compare two braces quotes like with like

Two quotes are only comparable once you know what each one covers. The AAO’s first tip is to ask what’s included in the quoted price and what isn’t. These questions turn that into a checklist you can take to any consultation:

1. What’s included? Diagnostic records, the braces or aligners themselves, adjustment and follow-up visits, retainers after treatment, and visits for a broken bracket or wire. Ask which of these are in the price and which are extra.
2. What’s the total fee, and how is it split? Ask for the full treatment fee, the down payment, the monthly amount, and the number of payments. A lower monthly figure spread over more payments isn’t necessarily a lower price.
3. Which treatment is being quoted? Comprehensive or limited, and which appliance. A quote for a different plan isn’t a like-for-like comparison.
4. How will my insurance be applied? Ask whether the office is in-network with your plan, whether it files claims for you, and how your lifetime maximum and any age limit affect the amount you’ll pay.
5. Is the financing interest-free? If there’s interest, the monthly figure doesn’t tell the whole story.
6. Which discounts apply to me? Paying in full, siblings in treatment, or referrals.

Once you have those answers, compare what each quote costs you after insurance and what each one includes. The headline monthly number on its own won’t tell you that.

Your next step: get your exact fee

An average and a table of examples can only take you so far. The number that matters is the one for your treatment, and that comes from an exam.

Your first visit with us is free, a $249 value. Our payment page says the complimentary visit includes a “Full orthodontic exam and any needed digital X-rays,” “One clear, all-inclusive price,” and “A custom payment plan built around your budget and timeline.”

You can start at our Wellington braces office or our Boynton Beach braces office. If you’re pricing treatment for your child, our page on braces for kids and teens covers what to expect. Bring the checklist above with you.

Frequently asked questions