Cost of Invisalign in Texas

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. Texas is big, and it’s got plenty of land, cities, and agriculture. Its Invisalign prices vary depending on where you live, but they’re pretty affordable overall. You can expect to pay between $3,500 and $7,500 for your 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 Texas.

These ranges are estimates based on what we know about Invisalign costs and some information from a few Texas-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.

States in the southwest typically have dental and orthodontic fees comparable to the national average. Texas is a huge state with diverse cities and demographics, but most of the time, you can expect fairly middle-of-the-road orthodontic expenses. Even though your cost of living can vary significantly depending on where you live in the state, Texas’ average cost of living is slightly lower than average, so you can often find reasonable Invisalign prices.

Each of Texas’ neighbors (Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico) has a lower average cost of living, so if you live near the border, there’s a chance that you could cross state lines to find cheaper treatment. However, it might only be marginally cheaper than what you’d get in Texas, so it might not be worth all the travel. You might also be wondering if you can cross the border into Mexico for more affordable treatment. Technically, you can, but you’ll just want to do a lot of research before taking this route, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the country.

The state’s 6.25% sales tax — plus a local sales tax of up to 2% — will also contribute to your final braces cost. Texas doesn’t have a corporate income tax, which doesn’t directly lower your orthodontist’s rates, but it’s one less expense they have to pay, which might affect their rates.

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

Texas is the nation’s second-most-populous state, behind only California. As a result, it has a bunch of large cities. The largest, with a population of around 2.3 million, is Houston, followed by San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, and El Paso. Houston and Fort Worth have costs of living similar to the national average. San Antonio’s is slightly lower, while Dallas and Austin are typically more expensive places to live. El Paso, on the other hand, is much more affordable. If you live in any of these cities (other than El Paso), you can expect to pay average prices for your Invisalign treatment.

Houston and Dallas have a ton of local Invisalign providers, over 500 in a 25-mile radius of each city, according to Invisalign’s Doctor Locator. San Antonio and Austin also have a lot of providers, but not quite as many. Residents in any of these cities will have plenty of prices to compare and choose the best one for their budget. El Paso, however, has very few local Invisalign providers. So, if you live there, you won’t have nearly as many choices.

Suburban

Like any big city, Houston has a wide variety of sprawling suburban towns, some that cost much more than the city itself and others that are quite affordable. So your Invisalign costs can vary significantly depending on where you live. Texas’ other cities are similar. The benefit of living in a suburb is that, while you have fewer local Invisalign providers, you’re within driving range of many more, so you have a lot of options.

But Texas’ population isn’t confined to these metropolitan areas. There are a slew of mid-sized cities across the state, places like Corpus Christi, Arlington, Lubbock, and Amarillo. Most of the time, these cities are more affordable than the large cities and their surrounding suburbs, although they have fewer local dentists and orthodontists. Even so, you should be able to find better prices on Invisalign treatment if you live in one of these smaller cities.

Rural

Texas has so many cities that it’s easy to picture it as a population-dense state. But don’t forget that the state is huge. There are plenty of wide-open spaces, particularly on the western half. Small towns in these rural areas usually have much cheaper housing, utilities, health care, etc, which means lower Invisalign prices too. The problem is that some places in western and northern Texas are so remote that there isn’t a provider within 100 miles. So you might find much lower prices, but you might need to spend extra time and money traveling to and from appointments.

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.”

Since there are so many Invisalign providers in Texas’ cities, each one needs to find ways to set themselves apart and attract new customers. Usually, they do this by offering discounts or running promotions. If you live in a city with numerous dentists and orthodontists, keep an eye on their websites, or call their offices directly, to see if you can take advantage of a special deal. Providers in rural areas might not have other dentists down the street competing for their customers, so there’s less incentive to run the same kind of sales, but you can still occasionally find them.

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.

Texas has four different dental schools where you can receive reduced-rate orthodontic care: Texas A&M University (Dallas), Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (El Paso), University of Texas Health Sciences Center (Houston), and University of Texas Health Sciences Center (San Antonio).

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 Texas, 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.