The Brace Faced Kiwi

Well, I finally got my treatment plan... To cut a long story short, there's nothing major that needs to be corrected other than the crowding!

At this stage the ortho is sticking with 2 years (but I live in hope!) and is trying to talk me into a full metal mouth. I'm weighing up the possibilities still, but I think I'd rather have them on a little longer and have them be slightly less visible. $200NZD difference in price isn't enough to sway me one way or the other, and I think I'll be giving in to my vanity on this one.

No date set yet, as I do need to have all four 2nd premolars removed, but I have a 'fitness' check at the dentist next week anyway so I'll be arranging for the extractions then. Once I've got that appointment set, I can give the ortho a call and set my b-day for 2 weeks later. Woohoo!!! So now I just have to hope I can get in for the extractions in the next 3-4 weeks, and I'll have braces before Christmas :)

Now for the most important part - the cost! If I choose to have all metal, then the cost will be $6400 NZD. The cost of ceramic braces will be $6600 NZD, so as you can see there's very little difference in price. I have two payment options: 1) Pay up front and get a 10% discount or 2) 12 months interest free Time Payment, which works out to $550 a month.

I'm in a tug of war at the moment over the cost! It's coming up Christmas, and I'm also taking my parents to the Gold Coast for 3 weeks in May next year which is going to cost around $6k. I've been saving $500 a month towards this, so if I choose time payment, I have to stop my holiday savings. Essentially I'll have to look into some form of finance, as no way in heck am I breaking into my special savings pot (must... buy...house... must... not... touch... savings...)!

Anyway. I had a chat to my bank today, and I'm just waiting to hear back. Fingers crossed for me! I'm on a roll now, and I really don't want to be held back by cost :(