Methodology and sources
The calculator
Insurance pays your coverage percentage of the quote, but never more than the orthodontic lifetime maximum you enter (a maximum of zero is treated as "no cap"). Your share is the quote minus that. The down payment comes off your share; the rest is spread over the months you enter, as equal payments at the APR you enter (the standard amortisation formula; at 0% the balance is simply divided). Tax savings are the pre-tax FSA/HSA amount — capped at what you actually pay — times the tax rate you enter. Every figure is computed in your browser from your inputs; nothing is sent anywhere.
Data
| What | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Employment and wages: orthodontists (29-1023), general dentists (29-1021), dental hygienists (29-1292), dental assistants (31-9091), national and by state | BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state and national files) | 2026-10-24 |
| 2026 health FSA limit $3,400 and $680 carryover | IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 | 2026-10-24 |
| 2026 HSA limits $4,400 / $8,750 / $1,000 catch-up | IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19; catch-up fixed by IRC §223(b)(3)(B) | 2026-10-24 |
| Braces as a medical expense | IRS Publication 502, Dental Treatment | 2026-10-24 |
About the wage figures
Kansas is not in the May 2025 OEWS state file; it has no page.
Alabama has no general-dentist row in the May 2025 state file.
BLS suppresses employment (**) or wages (*) where estimates are unreliable or confidential; '#' marks wages at or above the top-coding threshold. Those cells are shown as not published.
OEWS counts wage and salary workers. Self-employed practice owners — a large share of dentists and orthodontists — are not included, so counts are lower and means may differ from what owners earn. "Jobs per 1,000" is the occupation's share of all jobs in the state.
Updates
BLS publishes a new set of May estimates each spring; the IRS sets the next year's FSA and HSA limits each summer and autumn. Both are scheduled refreshes for this site, and the checked date at the foot of each page shows when the figures were last confirmed. If you spot a figure that has changed, the address on the about page reaches us.
Left out, and why
- Typical prices for braces or aligners: there is no free, sourced, state-level price survey; published averages come from surveys that charge for access or from marketing. The calculator uses your quote instead.
- Typical insurance percentages and lifetime maximums: they vary by plan; the calculator's defaults are examples only.
- Medicaid orthodontic coverage rules: they differ by state and need each state's policy text — phase 2.