Editorial policy
People use BracesPrices to make decisions about their health and their money. These are the rules we follow so the numbers can be trusted.
Where our numbers come from
- Every price, statistic and date comes from a published source that we have read. Each page lists its sources at the bottom, with the publisher and the date.
- We prefer government and public-program data, insurer documents, fee survey data and medically reviewed health publishers. We don't use prices taken from a single practice's own marketing.
- When good sources disagree, we show more than one figure rather than pick the most convenient.
- If we can't verify a figure, we don't publish it.
Estimates are labeled
The calculator and the state-by-state table are estimates from a model we publish in full on how we get our numbers, including the parts that are our own assumptions. They are always labeled as estimates. Only an orthodontist who has examined you can give you a price.
Review and updates
We review our sources at least twice a year, and sooner when a source publishes new data. The date at the top of each page shows when it was last updated; we change it only after re-checking the page.
Corrections
If you think a figure is wrong, tell us which page and number, and send a better source if you have one. We check every report, fix confirmed errors, and list corrections and data changes on how we get our numbers.
Advertising and partners
Advertising and partner links pay for the site. Advertisers and partners don't see or approve our content, and a commission never changes a number we publish or which options we describe. Partner links are labeled, with the disclosure placed before the link. More in our terms and disclosures.
Reader-reported prices
Prices shared on share what you paid are anonymous. We will publish them only as averages, once a group has enough answers to be meaningful, and we will explain how we checked and summarized them when we do.