Braces for Adults in Shelby Township
Fredal Orthodontics offers braces for adults in Shelby Township, using the Damon Ultima system.
*For new patients only. Patients transferring from another orthodontist: $250 consultation fee, credited toward treatment if they start here.
Dr. Thomas Fredal Jr., an orthodontic specialist, plans every adult case himself. Each plan is built from a CBCT scan (a 3D X-ray scan) and an iTero digital scan, merged into one 3D model. Dr. Fredal designs your care around your face, bite and long-term stability.
Fredal Orthodontics serves patients across Macomb County and Metro Detroit including:
Adult Braces in Shelby Township, Planned by One Orthodontist
Damon braces use self-ligating passive brackets with lightweight shape-memory wires. Self-ligating means the bracket holds the wire itself, without elastic ties. When braces are needed, Dr. Fredal uses the Damon Ultima system with a broad archform, meaning the wires follow a wide arch shape.
Fredal Orthodontics is a private practice with one orthodontist, so you see the same orthodontist throughout treatment. Dr. Fredal personally oversees each plan from start to finish and directs every orthodontic visit.
Adult Braces Care at Fredal Orthodontics
Weave Remote Monitoring
Remote monitoring for braces patients is available through Weave. You can text photos and questions at any hour. The clinical team reviews them during business hours and replies with next steps. There is no monthly fee for remote monitoring.
Airway-Conscious, Whole-Mouth Planning
Each treatment plan at Fredal Orthodontics is designed with the whole bite, facial balance and airway in mind. When it is clinically appropriate, Dr. Fredal offers maxillary expansion (widening the upper jaw).
Airway screening is part of every comprehensive orthodontic consultation. Dr. Fredal uses the CBCT scan to assess the upper airway in 3D. He also reviews your history for signs such as habitual mouth breathing, snoring, or restless or disrupted sleep.
This screening does not diagnose sleep apnea. If he finds concerning symptoms or structural findings, he refers you to an ENT (ear, nose and throat doctor), typically Dr. Thottam.
How Adult Braces Work at Fredal Orthodontics
Your adult braces consultation gives you a complete diagnosis and a treatment plan before you make any decisions. It includes a free 3D CBCT scan, an iTero digital scan and clinical photos of your face and teeth. The CBCT and iTero scans are merged into one 3D view for planning. The consultation takes 50 minutes, including 20 minutes with Dr. Fredal.
Dr. Fredal personally reviews your complete records with you. Before you leave, you get his treatment recommendation and an estimated timeline. You also get the exact treatment cost in writing and a review of financing options. No deposit or commitment is required to get your treatment plan.
For comprehensive braces cases, Dr. Fredal uses DIBS AI software to plan the Damon Ultima treatment and the bracket positions in 3D. He then uses indirect bonding. The brackets are first set on a custom 3D-printed tray, and the tray is used to place them on your teeth. On the day your braces come off, the team takes the scan for your retainers.
Complex Adult Cases
Dr. Fredal manages many complex adult cases in-house. They include impacted teeth, severe bite problems and orthodontic preparation for restorative work such as implants, veneers or crowns. Impacted teeth are teeth that have not come in on their own.
When you need other specialists, he works closely with general dentists, periodontists (gum specialists), oral and maxillofacial surgeons, ENT physicians and others.
For an impacted canine (eye tooth), Dr. Fredal uses the CBCT scan to assess the tooth, its root position and how it sits next to the other teeth. When the tooth needs to be uncovered surgically, he coordinates with an oral surgeon or periodontist.
When the Case Is More Than Alignment
Dr. Fredal completed specialty training in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics, earning his MSD. For adults, that training means looking at the whole face, not just tooth alignment. That includes skeletal relationships, gum and bone support, root position and airway.
He routinely treats adult retreatment cases, crowding that has returned after earlier braces, and skeletal cases using MARPE (an upper-jaw expander anchored with mini-screws). The practice also prepares teeth for orthognathic surgery (jaw surgery).
Dr. Fredal believes treatment should begin with thoughtful diagnosis and conservative treatment planning. When it is clinically appropriate, his goal is to make the space needed for alignment without removing healthy permanent teeth. He designs each plan to respect the supporting bone, roots and periodontal tissues (the gums and the tissues around the teeth).
Whether to remove teeth is not decided by crowding alone. Dr. Fredal considers how treatment will affect your facial profile, lip support, front-tooth (incisor) position, smile width, gum health, function and long-term stability. When removing teeth is necessary, he recommends it only after a thorough discussion of all available treatment options.
Whether you need jaw surgery depends on your case. Dr. Fredal looks at how severe the jaw (skeletal) mismatch is, your facial balance and profile, bite, tooth position, function and goals. Surgical orthodontic treatment may be discussed when the jaw mismatch cannot be appropriately addressed with tooth movement alone.
For surgery, Dr. Fredal works with oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Every surgical case uses Virtual Surgical Planning (VSP), which plans the surgery on a 3D computer model before the operation. Orthodontic treatment and jaw surgery are billed separately.
Braces vs. Invisalign for Adults
Fredal Orthodontics offers both braces and Invisalign for adults. Dr. Fredal reviews your bite, tooth alignment, facial balance, gum health and goals before recommending one.
Adult Braces
- Fixed to your teeth, so there are no trays to take out
- Typically recommended by Dr. Fredal for severe deep bites (upper front teeth that cover too much of the lower front teeth) and significant spacing (gaps between the teeth)
- Re-bonding a bracket that comes off is included
- Foods to avoid: anything hard, chewy, sticky or crunchy, such as Starburst, caramel, peanuts and popcorn
- Adjustment visits every 6 to 8 weeks
- Starting at $5,280 (metal)
Invisalign
- Clear trays that clients, coworkers and friends do not notice in conversations or meetings
- Trays come out to eat and drink, with no banned foods
- Worn 20 to 22 hours a day, as Dr. Fredal recommends
- Progress visits every 10 to 12 weeks
- Starting at $5,280 (Invisalign)
- Some adults use both in one treatment plan. Treatment may start with braces for the hardest tooth movements, such as severe rotations or significant deep bites. It may then switch to Invisalign for the finishing stages. Hybrid treatment is not needed for every patient. Dr. Fredal decides case by case whether to recommend it, and it is included in the treatment fee.
See the full comparison on the adult Invisalign page.
How Much Do Adult Braces Cost in Shelby Township?
| Treatment | Starting Price | Down Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Metal Braces | $5,280 | $750 |
| Invisalign | $5,280 | $750 |
| Braces + MARPE | $10,080 | $2,000 |
Comprehensive treatment fees come in three levels, set by case complexity: $5,280, $6,880 and $7,175. The fee does not change with how long treatment takes. At your consultation, Dr. Fredal reviews your 3D scan and gives you an exact fee before treatment begins.
Limited treatment, for one arch only or a simple retreatment, starts at $2,980. Limited treatment fees come in three levels: $2,980, $3,980 and $4,980.
Braces combined with skeletal expansion (MARPE) are priced as one package, starting at $10,080 with $2,000 down. A trusted oral surgeon outside the practice places the mini-screws and may bill separately.
Cost calculators: Braces Cost Calculator Invisalign Cost Calculator
Financing Adult Braces
Fredal Orthodontics offers flexible, interest-free in-house financing, with monthly payments starting as low as $179. Payment amounts vary based on treatment costs, down payment and financing terms.
- In-house financing: no credit check, $750 down for comprehensive braces or Invisalign ($2,000 for braces with MARPE), and plans from 12 to 30 months.
- Cherry: down payments as low as $189.99.
- CareCredit: offered as a third-party financing option.
- Pay-in-full discount: 5% by cash, check or ACH, or 3% by credit card, on your out-of-pocket portion.
- HSA and FSA: accepted.
Your insurance benefits are checked, and you get the verification in writing. The average insurance benefit paid per patient at Fredal Orthodontics is $1,500.
More on braces: full braces overview braces cost and financing.
Adult Braces: Frequently Asked Questions
How much do adult braces cost in Shelby Township?
Adult metal braces at Fredal Orthodontics start at $5,280. Comprehensive treatment fees come in three levels by case complexity: $5,280, $6,880 and $7,175. The fee does not change with how long treatment takes. Braces combined with MARPE start at $10,080, with $2,000 down. For comprehensive braces, in-house financing has 0% interest and $750 down, with monthly payments starting as low as $179.
How long does adult braces treatment take?
Many comprehensive orthodontic cases at Fredal Orthodontics are completed in about 12 to 18 months. Dr. Fredal gives you an individual treatment-time estimate after his diagnostic evaluation of your records. You get this estimate before you leave your consultation. Braces adjustment visits are every 6 to 8 weeks.
Does Fredal Orthodontics offer clear braces for adults?
No. Fredal Orthodontics focuses on Damon Ultima braces and Invisalign. Damon Ultima does not offer a clear version at this time, so the practice does not offer clear braces. It also no longer offers InBrace lingual braces, which sit behind the teeth. If you want a less visible option, Invisalign uses clear trays that clients, coworkers and friends do not notice in conversations or meetings.
Can adults get braces again after earlier treatment?
Yes. Dr. Fredal routinely treats adult retreatment cases and crowding that has returned after earlier braces. Limited treatment, such as one arch only or a simple retreatment, starts at $2,980.
Your new plan starts from a CBCT scan and an iTero digital scan, merged into one 3D model. He looks at your whole face, including skeletal relationships, gum and bone support, root position and airway, before recommending braces or Invisalign.
Can I get braces if I have jaw joint (TMJ) symptoms?
Possibly. Dr. Fredal screens your bite, jaw joints and muscles at the consultation. If you have active or concerning TMD (jaw joint and muscle) symptoms, treatment starts only after a qualified specialist has evaluated and cleared you.
Once you are cleared, treatment may go ahead when it is needed for other reasons. Braces and Invisalign are not offered as a treatment or cure for TMD. Fredal Orthodontics does not promise that TMD symptoms will improve.
What happens on the day your adult braces come off?
Your retainers are scanned the day the braces come off, and Essix retainers can be delivered that same visit. One set of retainers is included at the end of comprehensive treatment. Dr. Fredal asks you to wear them full time for the first 1 to 3 months, then at night for life.
Free Adult Consultation in Shelby Township
Book a free consultation with Dr. Fredal. It includes a free 3D CBCT scan and a personal review of your complete records with him. You leave with his treatment recommendation and the exact treatment cost in writing. No deposit or commitment is required to get your treatment plan.
*For new patients only. Patients transferring from another orthodontist: $250 consultation fee, credited toward treatment if they start here.