Braces Cost in Michigan 2026: $3,000 to $7,000 with the Country's Best State Medicaid Dental Program
Michigan orthodontic costs sit at the US average. Metal braces average $3,000 to $7,000 statewide. Invisalign averages $3,600 to $7,700. Affluent Detroit suburbs (Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, Grosse Pointe) and Ann Arbor anchor the high end. Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Kalamazoo sit at the state midpoint. Rural and Upper Peninsula Michigan is at the lower end. Michigan operates Healthy Kids Dental, widely considered one of the best-functioning state Medicaid dental programs in the country, which improves orthodontic access for low-income children compared with most other states.
Michigan pricing by region
| Region | Metal |
|---|---|
| Bloomfield Hills / Birmingham | $3,500-$7,000 |
| Ann Arbor | $3,500-$7,000 |
| Grosse Pointe | $3,400-$6,900 |
| Detroit Metro suburbs | $3,200-$6,800 |
| Detroit (city) | $2,900-$6,500 |
| Grand Rapids | $3,000-$6,800 |
| Lansing / East Lansing | $3,000-$6,700 |
| Kalamazoo / Battle Creek | $2,900-$6,500 |
| Upper Peninsula | $2,800-$6,300 |
Healthy Kids Dental: Michigan's Medicaid orthodontic program
Michigan operates the Healthy Kids Dental program, the dental component of the state Medicaid and MIChild (CHIP) programs. Coverage is administered through Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid with Delta Dental of Michigan as the long-running contractor.
Healthy Kids Dental is widely regarded as one of the highest-functioning state Medicaid dental programs in the country, with strong dentist participation rates and strong reimbursement rates relative to other states (60-70 percent of commercial fees, versus 35-50 percent in many states). This translates to better orthodontist participation in Healthy Kids Dental than in most states.
Comprehensive orthodontic treatment is covered for children under 21 with handicapping malocclusion meeting the HLD threshold of 26 or higher. Cleft palate, craniofacial syndromes, and severe traumatic injuries are automatically approved.
Adult Michigan Medicaid orthodontic coverage exists only for reconstructive cases. The dental schools (U-Mich Ann Arbor, Detroit Mercy) accept Healthy Kids Dental and offer reduced-fee comprehensive orthodontic treatment to non-Medicaid patients as well.
Michigan dental schools offering reduced-cost orthodontics
- University of Michigan School of Dentistry Orthodontic Clinic (Ann Arbor) : comprehensive treatment $3,500 to $6,000. One of the country's leading orthodontic residency programs. Accepts Healthy Kids Dental and commercial insurance. dent.umich.edu/patient-care.
- University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry Orthodontic Clinic : comprehensive treatment $3,200 to $5,800. Accepts Healthy Kids Dental. dental.udmercy.edu/patient-care.
Both accept Healthy Kids Dental. U-Mich has a longer waitlist; Detroit Mercy often has shorter wait times. For Grand Rapids and west Michigan families, both require a 2 to 3 hour drive.