Cost of Invisalign in Michigan

Invisalign has long been the country’s go-to clear aligner treatment. From New York to California, they’ve crafted dazzling smiles and renewed confidence for over twenty years. And while Invisalign delivers consistent coast-to-coast results, their prices can vary based on where you live. Why? That’s a good question.

Numerous factors can sway Invisalign costs, depending on your home state. Michigan is appealing to residents and visitors alike because of its natural beauty, lakefront vistas, and Midwestern charm, but how are its Invisalign prices? With a fairly consistent cost of living across the state, they’re fairly reasonable no matter where you live. Generally, you can expect to pay between $4,000 and $7,000 for Invisalign treatment. However, where you fall in that range depends on several factors.

So, if you’re trying to plot out a budget, but don’t have a good Invisalign estimate, we’re here for you. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a better idea of what you can expect to pay for Invisalign in Michigan.

These ranges are estimates based on what we know about Invisalign costs and some information from a few Michigan-based orthodontists. But they should give you a general sense of what you might pay.

Why Is Invisalign So Expensive?

We won’t lie: Invisalign is pricey no matter where you live. But there are good reasons for this, and many people think it’s worth the expense.

Every part of your treatment will go through your dentist or orthodontist, which gives them the chance to make on-the-fly adjustments, implementing additional attachments and altering timelines where they see fit. This is the most drastic difference between Invisalign and at-home aligner services like Byte and SmileDirectClub. And it enables your orthodontist to treat a wide variety of severe conditions, even jaw misalignments like overbite and underbite.

The average Invisalign treatment time is 12–18 months and requires office visits around every six weeks. But your dentist or orthodontist’s time, facilities, and equipment aren’t free, which means Invisalign often costs substantially more than at-home alternatives.

What Factors Influence Invisalign Costs?

No matter where you are, Invisalign can be expensive. But just how expensive depends on numerous factors. Some apply to every state while others are based on where you live, but you can find all of them in detail below.

Condition Severity

This is the most significant price-determining factor. A minor case of crowding or spacing simply takes less time and aligners to correct than a severe case of crossbite. The fewer office visits and aligners your teeth require, the less you’ll pay. During your initial consultation, your dentist/orthodontist can evaluate your teeth and estimate how long your treatment might take.

Region

In general, orthodontic care costs more on the coasts and less in the middle of the country. The northeast is particularly expensive, while southern states like Arkansas and South Carolina boast some of the nation’s lowest costs. Taxes can also play a role. The state will add sales tax to your total Invisalign cost, and higher corporate taxes might cause your orthodontist to accommodate by raising prices.

Michigan resides in the Midwest, a region where dental and orthodontic fees tend to be slightly below the national average. So, you won’t likely get slapped with a sky-high Invisalign bill. Plus, Michigan’s cost of living isn’t excessive, so your dentist or orthodontist won’t have to pay as much in rent or utilities as they would in another state, and their rates might reflect that. You can certainly find cheaper Invisalign prices in other states, but there are plenty of states with higher costs too.

If you live along Michigan’s southern border, you might be within driving range of Indiana, Illinois, or Ohio. Indiana and Ohio are both slightly cheaper places to live, so there’s a chance that you might find slightly cheaper orthodontic care there. The downside is that you’ll likely have to drive farther to get it, which might not be worth it in the end. Just remember that you’ll need to make an appointment every 4–8 weeks during treatment, so don’t venture out farther than you’re willing to drive on a regular basis.

Let’s not forget about sales tax. Michigan’s 6% sales tax will be part of your bottom line price. That’s right around the national average, so it shouldn’t affect your cost too much. The state also has a 6% corporate income tax, which won’t directly affect your Invisalign price, but it will affect your dentist’s expenses, which could influence their pricing model.

Urban, Suburban, or Rural?

Not only are Invisalign prices different between states, but they also vary depending on your location within the state. Urban areas, for example, often have a higher cost of living, and it’s less expensive to live in a small town. Do you have high rent and utility payments? Then your dentist or orthodontist likely does too. Higher overhead costs usually result in more expensive orthodontic treatment.

Urban

Detroit isn’t quite as bustling as it once was, but it’s still a major urban hub with a population over 600,000. It’s easily Michigan’s largest city — Grand Rapids is second with a population of around 200,000. Detroit doesn’t have the large numbers of Invisalign providers that other big cities do, but there are still many options for you to compare and find the best price. The city’s cost of living is about the same and Michigan’s overall, but its housing costs can be lower. This means that your Invisalign provider might not have expensive rent, and you might see these savings reflected in your treatment cost.

Grand Rapids is much smaller than Detroit, but it has around the same average cost of living. However, there aren’t nearly as many dentists around. So, while you’ll probably end up paying the same price for Invisalign, you’ll have fewer options.

Suburban

In general, Detroit’s suburbs have a higher cost of living than the city itself, so dental and orthodontics costs might also be higher. Still, compared to other states, they’re not overly expensive, so their Invisalign prices probably won’t be unreasonable. Plus, in the suburbs, you have access to all the city’s Invisalign providers as well, so you can potentially find better deals.

Michigan has quite a few universities, and its college towns fall on both ends of the cost-of-living spectrum. Ann Arbor, Howell, and Rochester Hills are some of the state’s more expensive locations, while East Lansing, Big Rapids, and Ypsilanti are cheaper. Because they’re slightly more isolated, these mid-sized towns don’t offer quite as many Invisalign provider options either.

Rural

Like small towns in most other states, rural Michigan has a pretty low cost of living, which typically leads to low orthodontic costs. However, northern Michigan is home to a few popular summer getaway spots, like Traverse City and Petoskey, which are small but more expensive. These popular vacation towns don’t have access to a variety of provider options either.

But for the most part, you’ll see lower Invisalign prices in rural areas. You might just need to spend a little more time and gas getting there.

Local Competition

When you have numerous dentists and orthodontists in an area, they each need to find ways to stay ahead of the competition and attract new customers. Many times, this means lower prices and special offers or sales. So, if there’s a high concentration of Invisalign providers in your area, it can mean lower prices, giving you the ability to “shop around.”

In dentist and orthodontist hotspots like Detroit, you’re more likely to find deals and promotional discounts as each provider tries to separate themselves from the pack. You can usually discover these deals by contacting the dentist’s office directly, although you might find coupons in the mail or on Groupon.

Small towns with only a few dentists don’t have this same level of competition, so the dentists there have less incentive to run promotions. However, if you live in one of Michigan’s college towns, you might take advantage of “back to school” promotions as dentists try to attract new customers from each fall’s influx of new students.

Dentist or Orthodontist Experience

A seasoned dental professional with an impressive portfolio of Invisalign successes will often charge more than a novice who just started offering clear aligner treatment. So, in some cases, you may need to decide between experience and affordability (but not always!). Sometimes it can be helpful to “shop around” to weigh your options if you have multiple dentists and orthodontists nearby.

Invisalign has a tiered series of levels (ranging from bronze to platinum) that tell you how much experience a given provider has. When you search for providers through Invisalign’s website, they will show you the level of each dentist and orthodontist in your area.

Managing Treatment Costs

When you’re staring down thousands of dollars in orthodontic treatment, it can be intimidating. Fortunately, there are effective ways to lower and manage those costs, from promotional discounts to payment plans. Here’s what you can do:

Review Your Insurance Plan

Some insurance plans will include Invisalign treatment and others don’t. If your plan includes orthodontic benefits, there’s a good chance you might receive partial coverage. But you don’t want to begin treatment expecting help from your insurance provider, only to find out that it’s not coming. So don’t commit to an Invisalign plan without first reviewing your insurance plan and contacting your provider to see if you’ll receive coverage.

You can also pay for Invisalign directly from an FSA or HSA if you have one. Consult your dentist or orthodontist to see how they handle these payments.

Search for Sales and Discounts

Unfortunately, you won't see sales plastered across Invisalign’s homepage and you won’t receive floods of promotional emails advertising “$100 off!” or “20% discount!” Invisalign doesn’t do that. However, your specific dentist or orthodontist might. Give their office a call to see if they have any special Invisalign offers. Sometimes, dentist offices will post these discounts on Groupon. Just head over to Groupon.com and search for Invisalign deals in your area.

Universities with dental schools will also offer discounts if you don’t mind a student or resident administering your Invisalign treatment. These individuals are qualified and overseen by professors and experienced dental professionals, so you can be sure you’re receiving quality care.

If you live in Ann Arbor or Detroit, you can visit the University of Michigan or the University of Detroit Mercy for discounted orthodontic care. Both of these dental programs offer routine dental care as well as specialty services like braces, Invisalign, and much more.

Ask About Financing

Most people can’t pay thousands of dollars for treatment all at once, so in many cases, financing is a must. Invisalign doesn’t have any company-wide payment plan policies — they leave it up to each provider. So, speak with your dentist or orthodontist to see what types of financing they offer. Many offices partner with specific third-party companies like CareCredit or beWell to break Invisalign costs into more manageable payments.

Discuss Aftercare in Advance

Even after Invisalign treatment, teeth have a tendency to shift back to their old positions. Aftercare retainers keep that from happening. When you remove your last aligner, you’ll have a perfect new smile, and you’ll need to purchase a retainer to protect it. Retainer costs vary, but you can usually get one for $200–$600. Ask your Invisalign provider what they charge so you can plan it into your budget.

Because your dentist can make tweaks and course corrections throughout your treatment, they can ensure that you’ll get a perfectly straight smile. But sometimes, teeth simply don’t move as expected. In the rare case that things don’t turn out as you hoped, you might be eligible for a refinement, where your dentist will craft new aligners to deliver the results you’re after. Of course, this will take more time and resources, so refinements often cost an additional fee.

3 Affordable Invisalign Alternatives

If you’ve come this far, you’re probably pretty serious about Invisalign, but it’s not ideal for everyone and there are some other high-quality options out there. Take a look at three of our favorites:

1. Byte

$2,199

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Byte is an at-home aligner service, so you’ll receive your full aligner series in the mail, then administer treatment from the comfort of home, no office visits required. And it comes at less than half the price of Invisalign.

They can’t treat the same scope of conditions that Invisalign can, but for mild and moderate cases, Byte claims their treatment plans are an average of 4–5 months long. Byte’s aligners are nearly invisible and come with the HyperByte — a high-frequency vibration device that's intended to provide a comfortable aligner fit. Studies show that devices like this might also encourage more efficient dental shifts for some people. We also like their lifetime guarantee, which promises users free revision treatment if their teeth ever move out of alignment.

Want to review Byte and Invisalign side-by-side? Take a look at our Byte vs. Invisalign comparison guide.

2. Candid

$3,500+

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Candid is another aligner company that takes extensive measures to provide safe, effective treatment for mild-to-moderate cases of misalignment. They’ve combined the convenience of remote aligners with the effectiveness of hands-on care in a hybrid treatment.

Your Candid treatment begins in a dentist’s office, and that dentist remains involved throughout the process. Over 6–9 months (on average), you’ll upload photos of your teeth every two weeks. This allows your dentist and Candid’s team to keep you on track and request additional office visits, if necessary.

At $3,500+, Candid’s price-point is higher than Byte’s, but still usually lower than Invisalign. So if you’re looking for a healthy middle-ground between in-office and at-home treatment, Candid is a great option.

Check out our Candid vs. Invisalign review for a more in-depth comparison.

3. ClearCorrect

$3,000–$6,000

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ClearCorrect is one of Invisalign’s largest in-office competitors. Like Invisalign, a dentist or orthodontist will administer your ClearCorrect treatement in person, so you’ll need to make regular office visits. Much of ClearCorrect’s process is very similar. The advantage they have over Invisalign is that they charge dentists and orthodontists less for lab fees, which often makes treatment less expensive.

For a deeper analysis of these two companies, chck out our ClearCorrect vs. Invisalign review.

Conclusion

One of the first steps in preparing for Invisalign treatment is working it into your budget, but it’s difficult when you don’t have an accurate cost estimate. Now that you know all the intricate pricing details in Michigan, you can better evaluate how viable this treatment might be.

Of course, the only way to get a truly spot-on estimate is by consulting a dentist or orthodontist. If you love Invisalign but aren’t sure about the cost, don’t let that hold you back. Speak with your dentist to see how you can make it more affordable. Or, check out one of the quality alternatives we’ve outlined here. Either way, you’ll be on track to the perfect option for your perfect smile.