The money side of straight teeth in Japan

Living in Japan long term has a funny way of turning someday expenses into very real line items. Right now in our house, that's orthodontics. My kids are hitting the age where dentists start saying the word "braces," and since both my husband and I had them, it feels less like an if, and more like a when. 

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Probably because of that, the results of a recent survey from Tokyo-based Oh My Teeth piqued my interest. Their study of 457 people who've had orthodontic treatment found that around 80% paid in one lump sum or had family help, and one in four had the cost covered by parents or relatives.

What's also interesting is how payment styles are changing. About 40% of respondents completed treatment for under 400,000 yen, largely thanks to partial orthodontics that focus on just the front teeth. For those using installments, more than half kept payments under 20,000 yen a month, and 80% said it was manageable.

If you've had kids here in Japan who needed orthodontic work, how did you find the payments?