Orthodontics
What Does Invisalign Actually Cost in Burton, MI?
Why nobody can quote you a figure before looking in your mouth, what actually drives the price up or down, the insurance benefit most people do not know they have, and how to tell a real quote from a teaser.
By Dr. Prabha Raju, DDS · November 10, 2026 · 6 min read
Search for what Invisalign costs and you will find a lot of pages that never answer the question. We would rather just tell you how the pricing works, what moves it up and down, and what to watch out for in a quote, so you can judge any offer you are given, including ours.
Why there is no single price
Published prices for Invisalign cover an enormous range, and the range is wide for a reason. It is not really a price for a product. It is a price for an amount of tooth movement, and how much movement you need is personal to your mouth. That is why a figure you read online is almost never the figure you end up paying, in either direction.
A single arch with mild crowding is a different job from a full bite correction over two years, and it would be dishonest to charge the same for both.
What actually moves the number
- How far your teeth have to travel. More movement means more aligners and more appointments.
- One arch or both. Treating only the top teeth costs noticeably less than treating top and bottom.
- Whether your bite needs correcting. Moving teeth so they look straight is simpler than making the bite close correctly.
- How long treatment runs. A four month case and a twenty month case are not comparable.
- Whether you have had orthodontics before. Relapse cases after childhood braces are often shorter and cheaper.
- Refinements at the end. Most good providers include a round of them. Check that yours does.
What a quote should include
A real quote is one number that covers the whole course of treatment. Before you sign anything, make sure you know whether these are inside it or billed separately:
- The initial consultation and scan
- All aligner trays for the full plan
- Every check-up appointment during treatment
- Refinement trays if your teeth do not finish exactly where planned
- Your retainers at the end, and what replacements cost later
Retainers are the one people forget. Teeth drift back without them, so a quote that excludes retainers is not really a quote for straight teeth. It is a quote for temporarily straight teeth.
A word about the very cheap offers
Mail-order aligner companies advertise prices well below anything a dental office can match, and they do it by removing the dentist. No in-person examination, no x-rays, no one checking your gum health before the teeth start moving, and nobody in the room if something goes wrong.
For some simple cases that works out fine. The problem is that you are not in a position to know whether your case is one of them, because assessing that is the part they removed. If you have gum disease, untreated decay or a bite problem, moving the teeth can make things considerably worse.
We are not going to tell you never to use them. We are telling you to get examined first, by anyone, before you start.
Insurance, HSA and FSA
Orthodontic coverage works differently from the rest of your dental benefit. Rather than paying a percentage each year, most PPO plans carry a separate lifetime orthodontic maximum, which applies once per person rather than annually. It does not reset in January the way the rest of your benefit does. If it has never been used, it is sitting there, and most people do not know they have it.
Both HSA and FSA money can be used for orthodontic treatment. That matters most in November and December, when FSA balances are about to expire. If you have money in an FSA you will otherwise lose, starting treatment before the year ends is one of the better uses for it.
We accept Medicare and Medicaid along with the Healthy Michigan Plan and most PPO plans. Adult orthodontic coverage under Medicaid is limited and generally restricted to medically necessary cases, so for adults this is usually a conversation about insurance benefits and payment plans rather than Medicaid.
How we handle it here
The consultation is free and it is where the real answer comes from. Dr. Raju looks at your teeth, takes a scan, and tells you what would need to happen and roughly how long it would take. You get a fixed figure for the whole course of treatment, with the retainers included, and the front desk checks your insurance before you decide anything.
If Invisalign is not the right tool for your case, you will be told that too. Some bites are better corrected with braces, and occasionally the honest answer is that the teeth are fine and the money is better spent elsewhere.
Worth reading next
If you have not settled on aligners yet, our comparison of Invisalign and traditional braces covers which one suits which kind of case, and the one on braces and Invisalign for teenagers deals with the questions parents actually ask.
To get a real number for your own teeth, call (810) 715-3368 or request an appointment online. We are at 1024 N. Genesee Rd in Burton, just off I-69, with free parking at the door, and we see patients from Burton, Flint, Davison, Grand Blanc and across Genesee County.
Questions patients ask us
There is no single price, because you are not really paying for a product. You are paying for an amount of tooth movement, and how much you need is personal to your mouth. A few crowded front teeth cost considerably less than a full bite correction. We quote one fixed figure after a consultation, with your insurance already applied, and that figure does not move afterwards.
Usually a little, though the gap is smaller than most people expect and depends far more on the complexity of your case than on which system you choose.
Many PPO plans include an orthodontic benefit, and it usually works as a lifetime maximum per person rather than a percentage each year. It is separate from your annual maximum and it can only be used once. Bring your card and we will check what your particular plan allows before you commit to anything.
Yes. Orthodontic treatment is an eligible expense for both, which is worth knowing in December when FSA money is about to expire.
Yes. We offer CareCredit and in-house arrangements that spread the cost across treatment. Ask the front desk at (810) 715-3368 and they will walk you through the options.
Have a question about your smile? Ask a Burton dentist who listens.
Tender Dental Care welcomes new patients from Burton, Flint, Grand Blanc, Davison and all of Genesee County. Request a visit online or call and a real person will answer during office hours.
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About the author
Dr. Prabha Raju, DDS
Dr. Raju has practiced dentistry in Burton, Michigan since 1997, with advanced training in implants, sedation, laser dentistry and Invisalign.
Meet Dr. Raju →Tender Dental Care, 1024 N. Genesee Rd, Burton, MI 48509. Serving Flint, Grand Blanc, Davison, Flushing, Swartz Creek, Fenton and Genesee County. This article is general information, not a diagnosis; please see a dentist for advice about your own mouth.
