Cost is usually the first question after "how long will this take." Here's exactly how financing works at Meridian, without the vague ranges most practice websites give you.
We finance every treatment plan in-house — no third-party lender, no credit check, and no interest on plans under 24 months. That last part matters: many practices route financing through a third-party lender that runs a hard credit check and charges interest, which can catch families off guard. We don't do that.
A typical plan looks like this: a down payment of $500-1,000 at the start of treatment, then the remaining balance split into equal monthly payments over the length of your treatment plan. If your treatment runs 18 months, your monthly payment is your remaining balance divided by 18 — no compounding interest added.
Insurance is applied first. If your plan has orthodontic coverage (many PPO dental plans include a lifetime orthodontic benefit, typically $1,000-$3,000), we verify your benefits before your consultation and apply that amount to reduce your out-of-pocket cost before we calculate your monthly payment.
There's no minimum credit score and no credit check of any kind. We ask for basic contact and employment information, but the financing decision is based on the treatment plan itself, not a credit pull. This is intentional — orthodontic care shouldn't be gated behind a credit score.
We give you the exact numbers at your free consultation — not a website estimate, but your actual down payment and monthly amount based on your treatment plan, before you decide anything.