Health and Life

How Much Does it Cost to Remove Wisdom Teeth

Cost to Remove Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth emerge typically during the age of 16 and 28 is most adults but over 30% of people never even develop their wisdom teeth. A lot of the time, wisdom teeth must be removed due to pain they are causing or the fact that they are causing alignment issues. Even if you only develop two of your wisdom teeth, you may still need them removed, so how much does this cost? Well the cost of removing wisdom teeth depends on a few things such as where you live, the experience of your oral surgeon, and the complication of your specific case.

Factors of Cost

One factor that will determine the cost of the procedure is how many of your wisdom teeth have emerged. Depending on which oral surgeon you choose, the typical cost for the removal of wisdom teeth is between $70 and $350 per tooth. So if you need all 4 of your wisdom teeth removed, the cost will range from $280 up to $1400. Most surgeons will advise you to remove all of them at the same time so you are looking at a much higher bill if you have all four of them.

The difficulty of the procedure will also substantially affect the cost. Two of the most common reasons why someone would need to get their wisdom teeth pulled are soft tissue impactions and full bony impactions. A soft tissue impaction will be less difficult and take less time so it will be less expensive but a full bony impaction will require more time in the chair, raising the cost per tooth pulled. You can also choose to use anesthesia during the procedure which will skyrocket the price from $1000 up to $2800 for less complicated cases but if there are complications expect to pay as much as $3500 to get four wisdom teeth removed.

What’s Included

Before you decide on a surgeon, you should really get a consultation to get an idea of what your final cost will be. Most surgeons will offer their clients a free consultation, especially if they don’t have insurance.

With the cost you are quoted, the entire procedure, materials, and anesthetics should be included. Since the procedure is pretty routine for most oral surgeons, they price they quote you should be almost exact to what you end up paying unless there are major complications.

Additional Costs

Before your surgery, it will be required that you get a panoramic x-ray to give the doctor a clear idea of how the teeth are coming in. These x-rays are not too pricy, ranging from $60-$100 but it’s a cost that should be considered when determining the total cost of the procedure.

Depending on the surgeon you choose, anesthetics may or may not be included in the final price since some people opt not to use them. Be sure to ask the orthodontist if an anesthetic is included in the final price. After care medication is not included in the final price though and those will be necessary for you to properly function after the procedure.

Ways to Save

If you don’t have insurance, think about paying cash up front for the surgery. When the balance is paid in full, many times the doctor would be more than happy to give some sort of discount.

Also look around for low-cost dentists in your area. Many clinics will work with you on the price depending on your income and if you qualify.