Metal braces in Ohio are published at $3,500 to $6,500 by a Cincinnati orthodontist and $4,000 to $6,000 by a Columbus one, which sits inside the $3,000 to $7,000 range that Humana, Guardian and most practices nationally quote. Ceramic brackets add about $1,000, and lingual braces behind the teeth start where ceramic ends. This page collects the published figures, says who published them and when, and sets out what insurance, Ohio Medicaid and payment plans do to the number.
- Metal braces, Ohio
- $3,500 to $6,500Cincinnati, April 2026
- Ceramic braces, Ohio
- $4,000 to $8,000Columbus, November 2023
- Lingual braces
- $8,000 to $10,000+Columbus; nationally to $13,000
- National average, metal
- $6,343CareCredit cost list
What Ohio practices publish
| Source | Appliance | Range | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haverkos Family Orthodontics, Cincinnati | Metal braces | $3,500 to $6,500 | April 2026 |
| Haverkos Family Orthodontics, Cincinnati | Ceramic braces | $4,000 to $7,000 | April 2026 |
| Hrabowy Orthodontics, Columbus | Metal braces | $4,000 to $6,000 | November 2023 |
| Hrabowy Orthodontics, Columbus | Ceramic braces | $4,000 to $8,000 | November 2023 |
| Hrabowy Orthodontics, Columbus | Lingual braces | $8,000 to $10,000, “often exceed $10,000” | November 2023 |
What national sources publish
| Source | Metal | Ceramic | Lingual | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humana | $3,000 to $7,000 | $4,000 to $8,000 | $5,000 to $13,000 | With insurance: $1,500 to $3,500, $2,000 to $4,000, $2,500 to $6,500 |
| Guardian | $3,000 to $7,500 | $2,000 to $8,500 | Page updated May 2026; clear aligners $3,000 to $7,000 | |
| CareCredit cost list | $6,343 average | $5,834 average | $9,221 average | Source of the averages not stated |
| Delta Dental of Oregon PPO schedule | $5,574 (D8080, adolescent), $5,820 (D8090, adult) | Contracted allowed fees effective August 2024, not retail; the only CDT-coded figures we found |
Self-ligating brackets (Damon and similar) are published by only two practices nationally, at $4,000 to $9,000. The American Dental Association’s Survey of Dental Fees, the one national fee survey, was discontinued in 2023 and its last edition withdrawn, so there is no current public average by procedure code; the CareCredit averages and the Delta Dental schedule are what remain.
Why one case costs $3,500 and another $7,000
- How far the teeth have to move and for how long. Eighteen to thirty months of active treatment costs more than twelve, because the fee covers every adjustment visit.
- Phase one treatment. An early appliance for a child with mixed dentition is priced separately from the later full treatment.
- Extractions and surgery. Taken out of the orthodontic fee and billed by the dentist or oral surgeon who does them. The Ohio State University’s clinic says the same of its resident fee.
- The bracket. Ceramic brackets cost the practice more and chip more; lingual brackets are custom-made and take longer to adjust, which is why they run two to three times the metal price.
- Records and retainers. A consultation is free at most orthodontists and $50 to $250 where charged; records and imaging $200 to $500. The first set of retainers is usually in the fee; replacements are not. See retainer cost in Ohio.
With insurance, Medicaid or a payment plan
Dental insurance. Plans that cover orthodontics typically pay 50% of the fee up to a lifetime orthodontic maximum, which is $1,000 on Cigna’s Dental 1500 and UnitedHealthOne’s Premier Plus and $1,000 or $1,500 on Guardian’s individual plans, usually after a twelve-month wait and usually for dependents under 19 only. Humana’s own worked figures put metal braces at $1,500 to $3,500 after insurance. The plan rules are on dental insurance and braces in Ohio.
Ohio Medicaid. Covers braces for patients younger than 21 when the case is medically necessary under the state’s scoring form, at a state fee of $624 for placement and the first quarter and $261.94 for each later quarter. Adults are not covered. See does Ohio Medicaid cover braces.
The resident clinics. Braces provided by orthodontic residents under faculty supervision cost from $4,172 plus a $545 records fee at The Ohio State University in Columbus and $3,889 at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Both screen first; OSU’s screening is free.
Payment plans. The Cincinnati orthodontist describes $150 to $300 a month after a $500 to $1,000 down payment over 24 to 60 months, usually interest-free. CareCredit’s deferred-interest promotions run 6 to 24 months on $200 or more, with interest from the purchase date if the balance is not cleared, or fixed plans at 17.90% to 20.90% APR. Orthodontics is an FSA and HSA expense under IRS Publication 502, counted in the year each payment is made. More on ways to pay less for braces in Ohio.
Braces against aligners, in Ohio prices
The Cincinnati practice that publishes both puts Invisalign at $3,000 to $8,000 against $3,500 to $6,500 for metal braces: cheaper at the bottom for a mild case, dearer at the top for a complex one. Our Invisalign cost in Ohio page has the city-by-city figures, and the city guides for Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo, Akron and Dayton carry what each city’s practices say.
Frequently asked questions
How much do braces cost in Ohio?
Ohio orthodontists publish metal braces at $3,500 to $6,500 (Cincinnati) and $4,000 to $6,000 (Columbus), ceramic at $4,000 to $8,000, and lingual braces from $8,000 upward.
How much are braces in Ohio without insurance?
The published ranges above are the cash prices. Payment plans spread them at about $150 to $300 a month, and the two university resident clinics treat for $3,889 and from $4,172.
How much are braces with insurance?
Typically half the fee up to a lifetime maximum of $1,000 to $1,500, so a $5,000 case comes down to about $3,500 to $4,000. Humana’s worked figures for metal braces with insurance are $1,500 to $3,500.
Are ceramic braces worth the extra cost?
They cost about $1,000 more than metal in the Ohio figures and are less visible; they can stain and chip more easily, and some plans cover metal brackets only. That is a judgment for you and your orthodontist, not a price question.
Does the price include retainers?
Usually the first set, not replacements. Ask before you sign, and ask whether records, refinements and emergency repair visits are in the fee.
Sources
- Haverkos Family Orthodontics, “How Much Does Invisalign Cost in Cincinnati?”, April 2, 2026
- Hrabowy Orthodontics, “How Much Do Braces Cost for Kids in Bexley, Ohio?”, November 1, 2023
- Humana, “Does Dental Insurance Cover Braces?”
- Guardian, “Orthodontic Coverage: Does Dental Insurance Cover Braces?”
- CareCredit dental procedure cost list
- Delta Dental of Oregon PPO fee schedule, effective August 1, 2024
- American Dental Association, “The Dental Care Market” (Survey of Dental Fees discontinued 2023)
- The Ohio State University College of Dentistry and Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine orthodontic clinics
Figures retrieved September 30, 2026; practice prices are the practices’ own published ranges on the dates shown. Straighten My Smile Ohio is a publication, not a practice.
