Short answer: braces and implants are planned costs, so you have time to check your dental plan's limits, use pre-tax health accounts where they apply, and ask for an office payment plan that runs as long as the treatment. Borrow only for the part that is left, and compare a loan and a card by their total cost.
For lower cost care such as dental school clinics and community health centers, and for medical credit cards and credit union loans, see how to pay for dental work. This guide covers what is different about large planned treatment.
Ask your dental plan before treatment starts
Plans differ, so get the answers in writing from your plan:
- Is orthodontic treatment covered, for whom, and is there a lifetime maximum for it?
- Are implants covered, or only another way of replacing a tooth?
- What is the yearly maximum the plan pays, and how much of it is left this year?
- Is there a waiting period before major work or orthodontics is covered?
- Will the plan review the treatment plan before I start and tell me what it expects to pay?
If you buy a separate dental plan through the Marketplace, HealthCare.gov warns that it can have waiting periods before it covers services for adults; it will not cover services until the waiting period ends, and you pay premiums during that time (HealthCare.gov). Dental coverage is an essential health benefit for children 18 and under, but not for adults (HealthCare.gov).
HSA and FSA money
IRS Publication 502 lists braces, extractions and dentures among dental treatment you can include in medical expenses, and says amounts paid to whiten teeth cannot be included (IRS Publication 502). For a tax deduction, you can generally include only expenses you paid this year, not payments for care you will receive in a future year; the publication notes this is not the rule for what a flexible spending arrangement can reimburse (IRS Publication 502). Ask your HSA or FSA administrator how it handles orthodontic payments spread over time, and see Publication 969 for how the accounts work (IRS Publication 969). This is not tax advice.
Office payment plans for long treatment
If treatment runs over several months, ask whether the office will spread the cost over the treatment itself. Get in writing:
- The down payment, the monthly amount and the number of payments.
- Any interest or fee, and whether the plan is run by the office or by a lender or card company.
- What happens to the payments if treatment ends early, takes longer or you change offices.
If the plan is a medical credit card with deferred interest, any balance left when the promotion ends brings back all the interest from the start (CFPB). The medical bills guide shows how that adds up.
Example: $5,000 over 24 months
This example finances $5,000 left after insurance and savings, repaid in 24 equal monthly payments. The loan uses 11.90% APR, the Federal Reserve's August 2026 average for 24-month personal loans, and the card uses 22.36%, the August 2026 average card rate (G.19). It assumes no fees and no new card charges. Your rates may differ.
| Option | Monthly payment | Interest | Total paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal loan, 11.90% | $235.13 | $643.12 | $5,643.12 |
| Credit card, 22.36% | $260.28 | $1,246.72 | $6,246.72 |
$235.13 x 24 = $5,643.12, and $260.28 x 24 = $6,246.72. Subtract $5,000 from each to get the interest. An office plan with no interest over the same 24 months would cost $5,000, so ask for one first.
Questions to ask before you borrow
- What is the full treatment cost, and what will the plan pay?
- Can the office spread the cost over the treatment at no interest?
- What is the APR, is there an origination fee, and what is the total of payments?
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Sources
- HealthCare.gov: Dental coverage in the Marketplace
- IRS Publication 502: Medical and Dental Expenses
- IRS Publication 969: Health Savings Accounts and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans
- CFPB: Medical Credit Cards and Financing Plans (May 2023)
- Federal Reserve: G.19 Consumer Credit (released October 7, 2026), terms of credit, August 2026: credit card plans and 24-month personal loans
Disclosure: Modern Lending Solutions is not a lender, loan broker or agent for any lender or loan broker, and does not make credit decisions. Any compensation we receive is paid by participating lenders, only for advertising services. This guide is general information, not financial or legal advice.