For families with adolescent children, the thought of paying for a set of braces can be jarring.
Pun intended.
Not anymore, says Jeff Mellen, office manager for Smile Braces, a new orthodontic office at 76 Merrimack St.
"Everyone who needs braces, we can figure out a way," he said.
The office will provide orthodontic treatment for as low as $137 a month with an electronic transfer, with no money down and no interest charge.
"A lot of people need treatment," says Dr. Pushpak Patel, the resident orthodontist. "Quality, though, remains the first thing."
Additionally, Smile Braces offers a free consultation for all prospective patients.
Smile Braces, which celebrated a grand opening at its new office with refreshments and a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, prides itself on providing affordable, high-quality orthodontic care.
"The traditional price for braces is about $5,000," Patel said. "We're offering $4,000, or 20 percent less."
While still an expensive process, Smile Braces is now the only orthodontic office in Haverhill that accepts state health insurance, which is a substantial reason why the choice was made to open in Haverhill.
"We knew that this was an under-served community," said second office manager Brett Sigworth. "We knew we could come in and help people with the lowest prices around, with the same high quality care."
The opening represents another indication that the downtown Haverhill business community is rebounding, says President of the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce Jim Jajuga.
"This opening will bring more people, more young families into downtown," Jajuga said. "This space was empty before, and now it's creating jobs and helping the tax base."
Patel, who practiced dentistry in Rajkot, India, for three years before returning to Boston University to receive a DMD, says the process for him to join Smile Braces took two years, but is already bearing fruit.
"We're completely booked for the next three weeks," he said. "This is going to be the busiest orthodontic office in Haverhill because the need is so widespread."
Even though the prices at Smile Braces are markedly lower than most traditional offices, Patel doesn't worry much about the bottom line.
"We build up profit by adding patients," he said. "I want to sleep easily every night. We want to make treatment affordable for everyone."
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