The cost of InvisalignⓇ has changed a lot since the late 1990s when the clear aligners burst onto the orthodontic scene, and there’s still a lot of outdated information floating out there on the internet.
All those conflicting answers and sources of information can make it seem pretty challenging to get the facts about Invisalign cost.
It ought to be simple for you to get the information you need to make the decision that’s best for your smile. So it can be frustrating when one of the most important pieces of information – cost of Invisalign – is one of the hardest pieces to figure out.
We want to help. Here’s your 2023 guide to the cost of Invisalign in Vancouver.
Invisalign Cost in Vancouver – Quick Summary
Sometimes, all you need is a short answer. If that’s you, here’s the quick summary of the cost of Invisalign in Vancouver.
General range for comprehensive Invisalign cases: $5,500 – $10,000 (Minor front tooth correction may be available for less than $5,500, but it is very limited in its scope of treatment.)
General range for traditional braces: $5,500 – $10,000 (yes, the cost of Invisalign is essentially the same as braces!)
Most Invisalign patients at Dr. Peter Brawn: $5,500 – $7,900 (most patients also finish about 2x faster than average treatment times at other dentists & orthodontists.)
The Cost of Invisalign Might Surprise You
Yes, you read that right. The cost of Invisalign treatment really is similar to braces. But don’t take our word for it. Based on real patient cases, here is a hypothetical example of what Invisalign prices can be. Every patient’s case is unique, and you should always consult a doctor for accurate costs and treatment times. But these examples will give you a general idea of typical Invisalign costs.
How Does Invisalign Work?
Invisalign works by using clear aligners – and often small button attachments – to put small amounts of pressure on misaligned teeth to straighten teeth and perfect your smile. In this way, Invisalign aligners work much like traditional braces.
But just about anyone who’s had Invisalign can tell you that’s where the similarities end. For one, the forces Invisalign aligners use are typically much less and gentler than what you would experience with braces.
Secondly, you can see straight teeth results much more quickly with Invisalign than you are usually able to experience with braces.
At Dr. Peter Brawn, your progress is even faster than typical Invisalign aligner treatment – let alone traditional braces. We use clinically-proven gentle light therapy to increase how quickly you see results in treatment, and even better, the technology reduces your discomfort at the same time.
Some patients experience as much as 75% less discomfort with Invisalign treatment at Dr. Peter Brawn than what you experience with typical Invisalign and braces (based on published clinical research).
So to summarize – Invisalign and braces both use small forces to straighten your teeth, and they both cost relatively the same, but Invisalign does a lot more for the price.
At Dr. Peter Brawn, you’ll enjoy all those benefits of Invisalign plus more you won’t find everywhere else (and some you can hardly find anywhere else).
- Most of our patients finish treatment 2x faster than the average treatment time in Canada.
- If you need an even more discreet solution than regular Invisalign with attachments, you can get Hidden Invisalign Attachments so that none of your attachments are visible.
- Enjoy way fewer appointments than at most other dentists and orthodontists without slowing down your treatment and progress at all – often patients enjoy about half as many as average.
What Is The Cost of Invisalign in Canada?
Invisalign treatment for standard cases at Dr. Peter Brawn starts at $5,500, which is less than many other dentists and orthodontists charge for Invisalign in Vancouver.
The high-end for standard treatment costs at Dr. Peter Brawn ($7,900) is also lower than the high-end you’ll find at other places.
So what is the average cost of Invisalign at other places?
In Canada, most orthodontic treatment methods for straightening teeth generally cost between $5,500 – $10,000, based on the length of treatment and complexity involved.
The average cost of quality Invisalign treatment fits in this same range: $5,500 – $10,000.
How do Invisalign costs today compare to other orthodontic treatment methods?
Some people today choose traditional braces as their treatment option believing that Invisalign would cost them way more.
Sadly, they’re missing out for no reason.
When Invisalign aligners first burst on the scene, they did tend to be more expensive than traditional options like braces in most cases. So if you’ve ever heard that Invisalign costs more than braces, it probably came from an old source. Those are outdated now. Today, that’s fake news.
Invisalign and braces are essentially the same price for standard treatment cases in 2023, with both having average costs for standard cases between $5,500 and $10,000.
(Read our complete guide for more on Invisalign vs. Braces.)
What Determines Your Invisalign Cost?
The cost of Invisalign varies from person to person based on unique needs and the complexity involved in treatment.
So unfortunately, asking your friend “How much did your Invisalign cost?” may or may not tell you much about what your Invisalign cost estimate will be. It all depends on the complexity of your case (and theirs).
Here are the main factors that will influence the price of Invisalign treatment for you.
Complexity of Treatment
The complexity of your case is the main determining factor of your price for Invisalign.
It may seem as though the length of your treatment is what really influences your cost, but with the best InvisalignⓇ doctors, that’s not the case. It really shouldn’t be the case with any orthodontist or dentist.
When your cost for Invisalign is based on the length of your treatment, you lose.
Here’s why: the doctor is actually incentivized to make your treatment take longer.
Now, most orthodontists and dentists are good people who care about their patients. But this type of treatment relationship isn’t setting anyone up for success. It certainly isn’t setting you up to get the best results and the most value during treatment.
Make sure you are choosing an Invisalign doctor who is basing your cost for Invisalign on the actual complexity of your case, not on the length of your treatment. You will come out ahead and get a whole lot more value for your investment.
Experience & Quality of Your Invisalign Provider
Often, it can be easy to forget about this one.
Pretty much every orthodontist and dentist is putting their best foot forward online. So it can seem like the ability of everyone you find is very high – certainly good enough for you to trust them with your smile.
But make sure to take a closer look. After all, you’re investing a lot into this and you only have one smile.
One of the main giveaways of experience can be price.
Not every cheaper option is going to have low experience or poor quality results. Sometimes, the doctors with the most Invisalign experience actually have some of the cheaper prices – because they’ve become so good at what they do they can offer it for less than a lot of other doctors.
For example, at Dr. Peter Brawn we have over 20 years of experience delivering great smiles to patients all over Vancouver.
For many of those years we’ve been offering accelerated Invisalign treatment exclusively to patients. Accelerated Invisalign treatment is the only thing we do. With all that practice, we’ve gotten pretty good at it, and our prices reflect that.
Most patients at Dr. Peter Brawn pay between $5,500 – $7,900 for Invisalign treatment. Even though our patients finish about 2x faster than average for typical Invisalign patients, those fees are less than many orthodontists and dentists in Vancouver. It’s our experience that allows us to do that.
Dental Insurance Coverage for Invisalign Treatment
If your dental insurance plan offers orthodontic coverage, that amount of coverage can be applied to your Invisalign treatment.
Some dental insurance plans only cover adults, some only cover children, and some don’t cover anything at all. When there is insurance coverage, typically the plan covers a percentage of the total fee up to a maximum. Uusually, that adds up to about $2,000 – $3,000 in savings for you.
(Humorously, that’s the same amount of savings you would’ve received in 1975 – your insurance company has not changed its coverage since then.)
About half of our patients have orthodontic treatment coverage, and half do not. At Dr. Peter Brawn, we will contact your insurance company on your behalf to confirm your coverage.
If you do have insurance coverage and submit a treatment pre-authorization, we are able to collect their portion directly and save you the hassle.
How to Make Sure You’re Paying for Great Invisalign Treatment
So what you’re really looking for are doctors whose prices for Invisalign fall outside the range for generally accepted typical costs for Invisalign.
It’s possible that you’ve found a gem, but for your own benefit, we strongly encourage you to dig deeper first. Comb their website for clues about how they’re able to charge less. It might be that they have lots of experience, but you also might be getting less for your money. And that’s a lot more likely.
Are they clear about their fees and what’s included in your treatment? Make sure you ask about additional fees or add-ons to your basic treatment cost.
And always, always make sure to read their reviews. Go beyond the reviews on their website and Google them. Doctors can’t control who reviews them on Google and what they say, so it’s a much more unbiased source of information.
You are much more likely to get the full picture from Google Reviews than from most doctors’ websites.
Level of Focus on Your Case
We wouldn’t blame you if you assumed that all Invisalign dentists and orthodontists provide patients with essentially the same level of focus and care regardless of where you go.
But the level of focus and care you receive can actually vary a lot from one Invisalign doctor to another.
We’re not suggesting that some doctors are intentionally ripping you off. Most doctors truly care about patients and their well-being. It’s simply that some doctors choose to provide their patients with more focus and care than other doctors as a part of their service.
It’s a choice about the value each doctor is deciding to provide to you as a patient. Some doctors choose to provide less focus and care so they can lower the prices they’re charging you.
For other doctors, it simply comes down to math.
For example, at Dr. Peter Brawn we choose to have a very high level of focus and care for our patients, so we only take on a maximum of 15 new cases each month. Other Invisalign orthodontists in Vancouver see 50 or more patients a month.
It would be really hard for those doctors to provide the same level of focus and care for each patient as we are able to give to our patients.
The point here is to be aware of what you’re getting and what you’re not getting with the price you pay for the cost of Invisalign treatment.
Doctor’s Approach to Fees
This factor is so important that we’ve dedicated a whole section to it below, but for now, the important thing for you to know is that each Invisalign doctor has their own approach to fees and costs for Invisalign aligners.
And they can be wildly different from each other. This factor has nothing to do with the actual specifics of your Invisalign case but can have a huge impact on your Invisalign cost.
Keep reading for more.
What About DIY Aligners?
You may have seen ads online for SmileDirectClub or other DIY clear aligner success stories. There are some wild ones out there – one college student even 3D-printed his own aligners! The price probably seems very appealing, but the small price tag comes with some big risks:
- Like Amos, the college student, all of the research, work, and effort is yours to do.
- More importantly, you become fully responsible for your own treatment.
- Even with SmileDirectClub and other services, all you get if something goes wrong is a 1-800 number. You don’t have the care of a dentist.
- MOST teeth movements and corrections are simply not possible.
- Recontouring is not possible. Attachments are not possible. Auxiliary helpers, like elastics, are not possible.
- It is completely unsupervised DIY orthodontics.
- The price might not be as low as it seems – if something goes wrong, or you need new sets of aligners all of that adds up to more costs for you.
All the things a professional would do to improve your treatment, progress, and results – none of them happen with DIY services. They’re up to you. Unless you’re comfortable with assuming total risk for your treatment, DIY aligners may not be for you. (For more on DIY aligners and the risks, read this.)
If you’re considering DIY clear aligner services, we’d love to talk with you before you make the leap. We’ll give you a completely free consultation, a personalized treatment plan, and a complimentary Invisalign cost estimate without charging you anything.
We’ll even run a simulation of what your smile could look like after Invisalign treatment and show you a customized plan for getting results faster than at other orthodontists in Vancouver – all at no cost to you.
The Most Important Thing to Know About the Cost of Invisalign
Here is the most important thing to know about the cost of Invisalign treatment, as we promised:
Every practice has its own approach to fees and costs.
There are positives and negatives to each approach, but the key thing is for you to be aware that practices do not all approach fees in the same way.
It’s important for you to know how practices differ in approach so that you can ask the right questions and be really confident about what you’re actually paying for, and what value you’re getting for it.
Common Fees & Additional Costs to Watch For:
Initial Consultation + Records – ‘records’ being things like models of your teeth, photos, and exams. Many places still charge for this – not all. Usually, it’s between $200 – $500.
Custom Re-Shaping + Slenderizing – these are examples of two common services, especially in adult cases, that can make huge impacts for you. They lead to significant functional and cosmetic improvements in your smile. Often practices charge $200 – $500 for a service like this.
Retainers – most offices charge for retainers. It can range from $200 – $800 for 1-4 sets of retainers.
Add-On Services – an example of this would be teeth whitening post-treatment. Many practices might charge for an add-on like this.
Treatment Equipment + Monitoring Tools – this has become especially prevalent in the world of COVID-19. Some practices may charge you for the use of a remote monitoring tool, service, or equipment.
Many practices will charge you for these. It’s a mixed bag, and there are a variety of approaches. Every office is different. The important thing is for you to know what the fee includes.
At Dr. Peter Brawn, we have a different approach to fees. Our goal is to make the Invisalign process as simple and clear for you as possible. Here’s how it looks with us…
Fees at Dr. Peter Brawn
We believe that a good treatment experience and straight teeth is the baseline, but today, you ought to receive an Invisalign experience where you get more for your time and investment.
Unfortunately, many orthodontic practices go the other way, and you get less than you feel you’re paying for.
Some charge extra for all those add-on services, records, consultations, and other things you might consider a normal part of treatment.
At Dr. Peter Brawn, we don’t believe in hidden fees – so we don’t have them. With us, you’ll get an all-in-one price. The price you see is the one you pay. It’s that simple.
We believe that you deserve to know exactly what you’re paying for and how much you’re going to pay. It’s so important to us that we don’t charge you anything for your initial consultation.
Here’s what you get during your initial free consult:
- A free consultation directly with Dr. Brawn – some places charge up to $500.
- A 3D simulation of what your smile can look like with Invisalign.
- A personalized treatment plan unique to you.
- We’ll walk you through all the costs of Invisalign upfront and interface directly with your insurance for you.
How Much is Invisalign Monthly?
At Dr. Peter Brawn, we believe everyone deserves to own their best smile. So we work hard to make Invisalign as accessible and affordable as possible for you. We’ll work with you to develop a flexible monthly payment plan for your Invisalign treatment that works for you.
Get a free consultation today to get your personal Invisalign cost estimate.
Cost of Invisalign at Dr. Peter Brawn
Most Invisalign patients at Dr. Peter Brawn pay between $5,500 – $7,900, which is less than you’ll pay for similar treatment at a lot of dentists and orthodontists in Vancouver.
But that’s only part of the story.
At Dr. Peter Brawn, patients also finish Invisalign about 2x faster than average treatment times at other dentists & orthodontists in Vancouver, and elsewhere in BC. (See the results for yourself.)
That means many patients finish their treatment in 1 year or less. At other places, average treatment times for Invisalign aligners are at least 17 months and can be closer to 2 full years!
You can avoid years of treatment by choosing Dr. Peter Brawn for very similar Invisalign costs to what would take much longer to see progress elsewhere.
We offer you a flexible and affordable monthly payment plan, too. Following your consultation, we will work with you to develop a payment schedule you feel good about.
If you’re interested in reducing your treatment costs, talk to us about paying upfront.
If you are ready to enjoy your best smile and don’t want it to take years or include all the headaches and hassle of typical treatment, our Invisalign treatment is made for you.
Get a Free Invisalign Consultation
