Assistance with orthodontics for child with cleft palate?

My son is 14 and we are having a hard time finding help getting braces for him. They are expensive and I can't travel far to get them as I have three younger kids at home. We used to use the Shriners but it got too difficult for me to go out of state. We're in Missouri and it's impossible to find an orthodontist that takes medicaid. My husband makes too much to qualify for assistance (there's a program that pays for care and medicaid pays them back) but with a family of 6 and bills, we don't have the money to pay cash. I'd like to know of a dental insurance company or something we could look into. He really needs this done for bone grafting.

Assistance with orthodontics for child with cleft palate?
talk to the people at cardinal glennon... they have great people in st. louis i have a cleft lip too and thats how we found out about all of that stuff!!
Reply:Try the University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Dentistry, has an excellent cleft palate program or they used to, or the dental school in St. Louis. You may at least get a much lower cost.
Reply:I would check with your local health department. Many state medicaid agencies have special programs for children with cleft lips and/or palates. I will say that most dental insurance companies consider orthodontic treatment as elective and usually cover only a small portion if any of the cost.