COST & TREATMENT TIME COMPARISON OF METAL BRACEKTS, SELF LIGATING BRACKETS AND CLEAR ALIGNERS

Cost & Treatment Time Comparison (2025 U.S. Averages)

Treatment Type	Average Cost (full treatment)	Typical Duration	Notes
Traditional Metal Brackets	$3,000 – $7,500 (average ~$4,800–$5,500)	18 – 30 months (average 24 months)	Cheapest option. More adjustment visits (every 4–6 weeks).
Self-Ligating Brackets	$3,500 – $8,000 (average ~$5,500–$6,500)	14 – 24 months (average 18–20 months)	10–25% more expensive than traditional metal. 20–30% fewer visits (every 6–10 weeks). Often marketed as “faster” because of lower friction and sliding mechanics.
Clear Aligners	$3,500 – $8,500 (average ~$5,000–$6,000)	9 – 24 months (average 12–18 months)	Mild–moderate cases: 9–15 months. Complex cases: 18–24+ months (same or longer than braces). Fewer office visits (every 6–12 weeks). At-home/direct-to-consumer aligners (Byte, SmileDirectClub remnants, Alignerco) can be $1,200–$3,000 but usually only for very mild cases and higher risk of poor results.

Treatment	Relative Cost	Relative Speed (average)	Best For
Traditional Metal Brackets	Cheapest ★★★★☆	Slowest (24 mo)	Complex cases, teens, budget-conscious
Self-Ligating Brackets	Slightly higher ★★★☆☆	15–25% faster (18–20 mo)	Faster treatment + still fixed appliance control
Clear Aligners	Similar to self-ligating ★★★☆☆	Fastest for mild–moderate (12–15 mo), same/slower for severe	Aesthetics, adults, removable convenience

Cheapest overall: Traditional metal brackets
Best combination of speed + cost: Self-ligating brackets (often only $500–$1,000 more than metal but save 4–8 months and several visits)
Fastest for mild-to-moderate crowding: Invisalign/aligners (can finish in <12 months)
Most expensive & longest for severe cases: Aligners (sometimes exceed $8,000 and 24+ months with refinements)