How much braces cost per month

Updated October 12, 2026.

The US average for braces is $5,645. With a $500 down payment, that works out to about $214 a month over 24 months at 0% interest, before insurance.

Monthly cost by payment term

Monthly cost by type of braces

Monthly cost by state

Where you live changes the monthly payment too. Using our state estimates for typical metal braces, with $500 down over 24 months at 0%:

How in-house plans set the monthly payment

Most orthodontists set up their own plan: a down payment to start, then monthly payments, typically over 12 to 24 months and often interest-free, until the fee is paid (AAO). The office can usually tailor the amount and timing to your budget, and you deal with the practice rather than a lender (AAO). Because the fee is fixed, the monthly payment is simply what's left after the down payment and any insurance, divided by the number of months.

Monthly cost by type and term

Using CareCredit's 2024 average cost for each type, with $500 down and no interest:

Note that a 36- or 48-month term is often longer than the treatment itself, which most people finish in 12 to 24 months (AAO). A term that long means you'd still be paying after treatment ends, and if it comes from a lender, check the interest rate and the total cost before you agree (AAO).

What interest adds

An in-house plan from the orthodontist can be interest-free; financing from a lender may charge interest. The same $5,145 balance over 24 months:

Watch for deferred-interest promotions: if the balance isn't paid off in time, interest can apply. See braces payment plans to compare options.

Medical credit cards: low monthly payments, high risk

Medical credit cards often offer a promotional period with no interest, usually 6 to 18 months for healthcare (CFPB). If it's a deferred-interest promotion and you haven't paid the whole balance by the end, you owe interest on the full original amount from the purchase date, at a typical APR of 26.99% (CFPB). The CFPB found 20% of healthcare purchases on these promotions were charged deferred interest from 2018 to 2020 (CFPB).

To use one safely, pay the balance divided by the promotional months every month, not the lower minimum payment. On a $5,145 balance with a 12-month promotion, that's $429 a month.

Monthly cost with insurance

Orthodontic benefits are often paid in installments during treatment rather than all at once. In Delta Dental of Virginia's example, the plan paid $500 when the braces went on, then $57.14 a month (Delta Dental of Virginia). Ask the office whether those payments lower your monthly bill.

As a rough illustration, if an average benefit of $1,772 came off the $5,145 balance, the payment over 24 months would fall from $214 to about $141. See braces with insurance.

Paying monthly with an FSA or HSA

Pre-tax accounts work well with monthly payments if your plan reimburses each payment as you make it. For 2025 you can put up to $3,300 into a health FSA (IRS Publication 969). FSA money is generally use-it-or-lose-it each plan year, unless the plan offers a grace period of up to 2½ months or a carryover of up to $660 (IRS Publication 969), so match your FSA election to what you'll actually pay that year.

Before you commit to a monthly amount

The AAO suggests working out what you can comfortably pay each month from your regular income and expenses, checking the down payment and its effect on your monthly payments, and asking what happens if your finances change or treatment stops (AAO). Make sure the plan covers everything: consultations, the braces or aligners, follow-up visits, retainers and emergency visits (AAO). A monthly figure that leaves out retainers or repairs isn't the real monthly cost, so ask for the total in writing and divide it yourself.

A worked example: one family's monthly budget

Here is how the pieces fit together for a family facing the US average price, using published averages. It's an illustration, not a quote:

If the family also pays through an FSA, the payments come from pre-tax money, which lowers the real cost again by their tax rate (IRS Publication 969). Without insurance, the same plan would be $214 a month.

Ways to lower the monthly payment

• Put more down, or choose a longer interest-free term.
• Use your orthodontic insurance benefit and check how it is applied to your bill.
• Pay part of the cost with HSA or FSA money; braces count as a dental expense when they treat a dental problem (IRS Publication 502).
• Ask about a discount for paying part upfront or for family members (AAO).
• Compare two or three written quotes. More ideas in affordable braces.