- Consult
- Records
- Bond
- Adjust
- Debond
- Retain
Money questions get answered at node one — in writing, before anything starts.
At our Coquitlam practice, comprehensive braces run $6,000–$8,500 and Invisalign $4,500–$8,500 in Coquitlam. With a typical payment plan that’s a down payment plus roughly $200–$350/month over treatment — and consultations with exact numbers are free.
| Treatment | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Metal braces | $6,000 – $8,500 | Best-value comprehensive option |
| Ceramic braces | $6,500 – $9,000 | Discreet premium of ~$300–$800 |
| Invisalign | $4,500 – $8,500 | Complexity-driven; refinements must be included |
| Phase 1 (early, kids) | $2,000 – $4,500 | Ask what Phase 2 will still cost |
| Minor adult relapse fix | $2,500 – $5,000 | Often 6–12 months |
The quote checklist
A complete fee includes: records and X-rays · every adjustment visit · reasonable repair visits · refinements (aligner cases) · retainers · post-treatment checks. At our Coquitlam practice, retainers are included in the quoted fee. Elsewhere, each missing item is a future invoice — retainers alone run several hundred dollars bought separately — so compare quotes on contents, never headline price.
How our payment plans work
Our standard structure is a down payment followed by equal monthly instalments across the treatment length, typically interest-free. On an 18–24 month treatment that lands most families around $200–$350/month, before insurance.
Insurance & direct billing
Orthodontic benefits usually cover ~50% up to a lifetime maximum ($1,500–$3,000 typical, never resets). Two family plans can coordinate and nearly double reimbursement. We direct-bill insurers so you pay only your share monthly; bring both benefit booklets to the free consultation and the financial coordinator maps it exactly.
A closer look: reading a braces quote line by line
A complete quote names the treatment, states a total, lists inclusions, lists exclusions (short and specific), sets payment terms, and states a revision policy. Read the inclusions against this list: records and X-rays; appliances; all adjustments; repair visits; refinement aligners where applicable; retainers; retention checks. Anything missing is a future invoice. Then read the payment terms for interest, lender involvement, and what happens if treatment runs long. Ten minutes with two quotes side by side usually reveals a difference the headline numbers hid — and at our practice, retainers are inside the fee, the plan is interest-free through the office, and the fee doesn't change if the case runs long.
Frequently asked questions about braces cost in Coquitlam
How much are braces in Coquitlam?
$6,000–$8,500 comprehensive at our practice with retainers included; Invisalign $4,500–$8,500; limited adult cases $2,500–$5,000; a first phase for a child $2,000–$4,500.
Are consultations free?
Yes — examination, records and a written plan.
Do you offer payment plans?
0% interest through our office: flexible down payments, monthly instalments across treatment, extended plans where needed, plus family and pay-in-full discounts. Contact us for details.
Does insurance cover braces?
Many plans pay a percentage up to a lifetime maximum; we direct-bill so you pay only your share.
Are braces tax deductible in Canada?
Orthodontic fees generally qualify as a medical expense for the federal tax credit; keep receipts and ask your accountant.
What if we can't afford treatment for our child?
Ask about Smiles Change Lives at the free assessment.
Misconceptions we correct most often
“Insurance pays half.”
Half up to a lifetime maximum — often $2,000–$3,000, which is less than half of a comprehensive case.
“A cheaper clinic uses cheaper braces.”
Usually it uses the same brackets and excludes retainers, repairs or refinements.
“The consultation fee comes off the treatment.”
There's no consultation fee at our practice to come off.
What Coquitlam families search for, answered
“Braces cost per month”
On a typical $7,000 case over twenty months with a $1,200 down payment, about $290 a month interest-free before insurance; often under $200 with a plan direct-billed.
“Cheapest braces in Coquitlam”
Metal brackets, a complete fee with retainers included, direct-billed insurance and an interest-free plan — which is our standard offer. The cheapest headline is rarely the cheapest treatment.
“Invisalign cost vs braces”
Overlapping ranges; both include retainers at our practice. The comparison.
A closer look: two quotes for the same teenager
Clinic A: $6,400. Clinic B: $7,100. On the headline, A wins by $700. On contents, B includes retainers ($600–$800 at A, "at the end"), unlimited repair visits (A charges $75 per), and a refinement policy; B's fee doesn't change if treatment runs long, A's adds a monthly continuation fee after month twenty-four. Over a typical case, B is the cheaper quote by several hundred dollars — and the quote that told the family the truth up front. We tell this story because it's the shape of most comparisons, and because our quotes are built like B's.
Where the money goes
Specialist time, mostly: the diagnosis, the plan, and two years of supervised adjustments by someone who trained for years to make those decisions. Then the appliances, the lab work, the records, the retainers, and a team that answers the phone when a wire pokes. What you're not paying for at our practice: a lender's interest, a coordinator's commission, or a fee that grows as treatment runs.
Before you go
Read kids and teens or adults for your situation, bring your benefit booklet to the free consultation, and leave with an exact written fee.