How Much Do Braces Cost in California?

This is a survey average from the practices sampled in California, not a cost of living ranking. Prices last checked: October 2026.

California Braces Calculator

Want a number for your own case? The calculator is set to California. Pick your brace type and how complex your case is, and it will estimate braces cost in California for you.

How Much Do Braces Cost in California by Type?

Type is the biggest driver of price in California. Metal braces average $6,087 and clear aligners average $5,399, both measured published figures for the state. Ceramic and lingual braces are shown as adjusted estimates, explained below the table. Each California number sits beside the national average so you can see the gap.

Two of these numbers are estimates, and we will not pretend otherwise. The ceramic figure of $5,600 and the lingual figure of $8,850 are the national averages adjusted by California’s published metal braces cost level in the Synchrony CareCredit study, not surveyed local prices. A local quote can sit above or below them.

The metal and clear aligner figures are different, because they are measured published state averages. Metal braces come from the Synchrony CareCredit study, and the clear aligner figure comes from CareCredit’s published state table for aligner treatment.

Sources: Synchrony CareCredit Average Procedural Cost Study for the metal braces state average and the national averages; CareCredit’s published state table for the clear aligner figure. Prices last checked: October 2026.

Why Braces Prices Vary Inside California

The state average is a starting point, not your quote. Inside California, four things move the price: how complex your case is, how long treatment runs, the type of provider you choose, and where in the state you are. Of these, your case usually matters most.

Case complexity. A small gap is a quick fix, while a severe bite takes more visits and more materials. Complexity moves a quote more than anything else on this list. Two people in the same city can get very different numbers for this reason.

Treatment length. A 12 month plan costs less than a 24 month one, because much of the fee pays for the regular visits. The longer the case, the higher the total.

Provider type. A board certified orthodontist may charge more than a general dentist offering braces. The fee often reflects training and experience, so ask what is included before you compare.

Where you are. A practice in an expensive metro carries higher overhead than one in a smaller town, and that shows up in the fee. No source publishes city level averages for California, so this page prints no city price. Prices do vary inside the state, but case complexity moves a quote more than the part of California you live in.

Paying for Braces in California

You have three main ways to lower the cost in California: private insurance, Medi-Cal for eligible children, and dental schools. Private plans pay a share up to a cap, Medi-Cal covers medically necessary cases for members under 21, and dental schools treat the public at lower prices. Here is each one.

Private insurance

Plans that include orthodontics commonly pay 50 percent of the cost, capped by a lifetime maximum of $1,000 to $3,000 that does not reset each year. Source: FAIR Health. The cap, not the percentage, usually decides what you save. For the full treatment, see California payment plans and coverage options and paying for braces in California with insurance or Medicaid.

Medi-Cal Dental

In California, Medicaid is called Medi-Cal, and its dental side is Medi-Cal Dental. It covers braces only for members under 21, and only when they are medically necessary. The case is scored on the HLD Index, California Modification, Form DC016, and it qualifies at 26 points or more, with one of six automatic qualifying conditions, or with a documented craniofacial anomaly.

Prior authorization is required before treatment. Braces for adults are not covered, and limited orthodontics on adult dentition is expressly not a benefit. In Sacramento County, dental managed care plans are mandatory, while in Los Angeles County they are voluntary. For the full rules and how to apply, see does Medicaid cover braces and the Medicaid orthodontic coverage rules.

California dental schools

Dental schools treat the public at lower prices, with care from residents under faculty supervision. These three publish figures you can plan around.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready for your own number? The tool is set to California. Add your brace type and how complex your case is to see your range.

Keep Exploring

Want the bigger picture or another state? Start with how much braces cost in the US to compare California to the national average, or see braces costs in all 50 states to see another state.