Orthodontists — the ones who did the extra three years.
Any dentist may offer aligners. An orthodontist has completed a recognised residency after dental school and does nothing else. For simple cases either works; for anything involving the bite, the difference is real.
Free to use. We're paid by verified practices, never by ranking position.
Clear aligners
$2,190 – $6,500
Metal braces
$3,000 – $7,000
Ceramic braces
$4,000 – $8,000
Typical treatment time
6 – 24 months
Specialists flaggedwe show who holds an orthodontic residency
Step 1 — your location
Ten orthodontists near you, ranked in about four seconds.
We flag which listed providers hold a recognised orthodontic residency and which are general dentists offering aligners. Both are legitimate; you should simply know which you are talking to.
Your location is used to sort results and is never sold or shared with third parties.
Showing 10 orthodontists near Austin, TXRanked by distance, review quality and published pricing
Straightening is about the bite as much as the look.
Moving front teeth into a pleasing line is the visible part. What determines whether the result lasts, and whether your jaw is comfortable, is how the back teeth meet — the bite. Treatment that only addresses the front six teeth can look excellent and relapse within two years, because nothing was done about the underlying reason they crowded. That distinction is the main practical difference between short-term cosmetic alignment and orthodontics.
Ask whether the plan includes the bite or only the front teeth. Both are valid products; they are not the same treatment.
Retainers are permanent, not optional. Teeth move for life. Budget for retention from the first consultation.
Gum health first. Moving teeth through inflamed gum accelerates bone loss. Any active gum disease is treated before anything starts.
Extractions are sometimes genuinely necessary to create space. A provider who never extracts and a provider who always does are both worth questioning.
Six to twenty-four months, then retention forever.
The active phase has an end date. The retention phase does not, and providers who gloss over that are setting you up for relapse.
01
Records & diagnosis
Photographs, a scan or impressions, a panoramic X-ray and often a cephalometric film to assess jaw relationship.
Visit 1 · 60 min
02
Treatment plan & simulation
A 3D simulation of the predicted movement, with the number of aligners or the bracket prescription and a fixed fee.
1 – 2 weeks
03
Appliance fitted
Brackets bonded, or the first aligners issued with attachments placed on the teeth.
Visit 2 · 60–90 min
04
Active treatment
Reviews every six to ten weeks. Aligners are changed at home weekly; braces are adjusted in the chair.
6 – 24 months
05
Retention
A bonded wire behind the front teeth, a removable retainer at night, or both. Reviewed annually, worn indefinitely.
Lifelong
Before & after
Orthodontic cases from providers on this list.
Submitted by listed practices, with the patient's written release and the fee they actually charged.
BeforeAfter
Lower crowding, seven months
Thirty-four aligners with one refinement round. Bonded retainer placed the week treatment finished.
Duration
7 months
Fee charged
$2,190
BeforeAfter
Deep bite corrected with braces
Aligners had been declined by two providers as unsuitable. Fixed braces over nineteen months resolved both the crowding and the bite.
Duration
19 months
Fee charged
$5,400
BeforeAfter
Adult relapse after teenage braces
Retainers abandoned twenty years earlier. Eleven months of aligners, then a permanent bonded wire this time.
Duration
11 months
Fee charged
$3,650
Individual results vary with your diagnosis, anatomy and healing. Fees shown are what those specific patients paid at those specific practices and are not a quote. Photography on this page is licensed stock imagery, not photographs of the patients described.
Cost & insurance
What orthodontic treatment costs in 2026.
Ranges below are the 25th–75th percentile of fees published by listed practices. Any dentist we match you with has agreed to give you a written quote before treatment.
Orthodontic insurance benefits work differently from the rest of dentistry: most plans that include it pay a lifetime maximum of $1,000 to $2,500 rather than an annual amount, and many restrict it to patients under nineteen. Check both the lifetime figure and the age limit before assuming you are covered.
What insurance usually covers
Orthodontic cover is a lifetime maximum typically $1,000 to $2,500, not an annual one.
Many plans restrict it to under-19s. Adult orthodontic cover exists but is far less common.
It is usually paid in instalments across treatment rather than as a lump sum at the start.
FSA and HSA funds cover orthodontics in full, which is often the better route for adults.
FSA and HSA funds cover this in full — it is a qualified medical expense.
In-house 0% plans at 6–24 months, offered by roughly two-thirds of listed practices.
Third-party financing at 24–72 months, typically 9.9%–17.9% APR once the promotional window ends.
Dental school clinics run 40–60% below private fees, with longer timelines and supervised residents.
Get it itemised, in writing — every time
Every component on a separate line. It is the only way two quotes ever become comparable, and every practice on this list has agreed to give you one before you pay a deposit.
Payment calculator
Work out the monthly number before you walk in.
Drag the sliders to your situation. Nothing is submitted anywhere — this runs entirely in your browser.
Estimates only. Actual approval, APR and term depend on the practice, the lender and your credit. Promotional 0% offers are usually deferred-interest products — if the balance is not cleared inside the promotional window, interest may be charged retroactively from the purchase date. Always read the credit agreement.
Compare your options
Aligners, metal braces, or ceramic?
Appearance is what people ask about. Case complexity is what should actually decide it.
Ask to see every option planned. A dentist who only ever recommends one route, regardless of the scan, is worth a second opinion.
Clear aligners
Metal braces
Ceramic braces
Cost
$2,190 – $6,500
$3,000 – $7,000
$4,000 – $8,000
Visibility
Nearly invisible
Obvious
Discreet
Removable
Yes
No
No
Handles complex bite problems
Limited
Best of the three
Very good
Depends on you wearing it
20–22 hrs a day
Fixed, no choice
Fixed
Eating restrictions
None — remove them
Hard and sticky foods
Hard and sticky foods
Best for
Mild to moderate crowding in a disciplined wearer
Complex cases, teenagers, and best value per outcome
Complex cases where appearance during treatment matters
How to judge a practice
Four things that separate a good practice from an average one.
None of this is marketing gloss — each one measurably changes how predictable your result is. Ask the practices you shortlist which of the four they actually have.
Imaging
They show you the images
A practice that turns the monitor towards you and walks through what it is actually seeing is a practice that expects to be questioned.
Ask to see your own scan
Pricing
A written, itemised quote
Every fee on its own line, handed over before you pay a deposit. Every practice we list has agreed to provide one.
Non-negotiable on this list
Volume
They do this often
Skill compounds with repetition. Each listing shows how many cases of this type the practice has completed in the last two years.
Case counts shown on every card
Aftercare
Someone answers afterwards
A named contact for the week after treatment, and a written policy on what a redo costs if something is not right.
Checked at every renewal
Inside the network
What a listed practice looks like.
We visit or video-audit every practice before it goes on the list — the operatory, the sterilisation room, the imaging suite and the front desk that will handle your insurance claim.
The operatoryChair, imaging and delivery unitSecond surgerySo urgent cases aren't bumpedSterile protocolAudited at every renewalThe front deskFiles your claim, not youStreet levelParking and access checked
Free consultation
Tell us the situation. We'll do the calling around.
Send this once and up to three matched orthodontists near you come back with a written fee, whether they hold a specialist residency, and what their plan covers — front teeth only, or the full bite.
Our Austin care team — 11 people, none on commission
1. You send the details
Ninety seconds. Your ZIP, what you need, and your insurance if you have it.
2. We shortlist and forward
We pick the three strongest matches on distance, case volume and price transparency — then send them your case.
3. You compare in writing
Three written estimates in your inbox within two business days. Pick one, or none.
Care team hours (Eastern Time)
Monday – Friday7:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Saturday8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Open now — median callback time 41 minutes
Get up to 3 written estimates
Free, no obligation, and your details are never sold to advertisers.
FAQ
Orthodontic questions, answered straight.
Reviewed by our clinical advisory panel in January 2026. General information, not a diagnosis.
Still deciding?
Talk it through with a care coordinator before you book anything. They don't work on commission and they can tell you when this is the wrong call.
An orthodontist completed a two-to-three-year residency after dental school and treats nothing else; a general dentist may offer aligners after a manufacturer course lasting days. For mild front-tooth crowding, both routinely get good results. For anything involving the bite, jaw relationship or extractions, the depth of training genuinely shows. Every listing on this page states which you are looking at.
Six to ten months for mild front-tooth crowding, twelve to twenty-four for a comprehensive case that corrects the bite. The single biggest variable with aligners is not the case — it is whether you wear them twenty to twenty-two hours a day. Providers plan the timeline assuming you will; most delays we hear about come from patients who did not.
Yes, and any provider who suggests otherwise is not being straight with you. Teeth drift throughout life — that is why adults who had braces at fifteen turn up crowded again at forty. Retention is usually a thin wire bonded behind the front teeth, a removable retainer worn at night, or both. Budget for it from the start rather than treating it as an afterthought.
Sometimes, when there is genuinely not enough room in the jaw for the teeth you have. The alternatives — expanding the arch or slimming teeth slightly between contacts — have limits, and pushing past them produces results that relapse or leave teeth outside the bone. A provider who never extracts and one who always does are both worth a second opinion; the answer should come from your specific records.
No. Roughly one orthodontic patient in four in the US is now an adult. Teeth move at any age because bone remodels throughout life — adult treatment is often marginally slower, and gum health matters more, but the outcomes are comparable. The main practical difference is that adults are far better at wearing aligners as instructed.
Pressure and tenderness for two to four days after each adjustment or each new aligner, worst on the first day and manageable with ibuprofen. Braces can rub the cheeks for the first fortnight until the tissue toughens; orthodontic wax solves that. It is discomfort rather than pain, and it fades markedly after the first few weeks.
Yes, and short-term cosmetic alignment is a legitimate product for the right person — usually six to ten months and considerably cheaper. Understand what you are buying: it improves the appearance of the front teeth without addressing the bite that let them crowd, so the relapse risk is higher and retention matters even more. Ask providers to be explicit about which they are quoting.
Almost always. Moving teeth into position first means veneers can be far thinner, which preserves substantially more enamel and produces a more natural result. Veneering crowded teeth means grinding away healthy structure to compensate for position. The extra three to twelve months of aligners is usually the best decision in the whole plan.
Imaging
Pricing
Volume
Aftercare
