How Much Does Tooth Extraction Cost?

Wisdom teeth can cause problems at all stages of their eruption. Even if your teeth erupt into your mouth without issue, though, your dentist or oral surgeon may recommend that you have them removed, with good reason. While they may not cause discomfort or problems right away, over the long term wisdom teeth often lead to many oral health issues. Because of their location in the very back of the mouth, wisdom teeth are challenging to properly clean, which can lead to painful decay. Erupted wisdom teeth also tend to crowd the other teeth, either because of the size of the mouth or because the wisdom teeth themselves grow erratically. For these reasons, extracting your teeth early on is recommended by most dentists and oral surgeons. This procedure varies greatly in cost; for some people, each tooth can cost as much as $800 to extract, while for others the cost is significantly less. Your dentist or oral surgeon will work closely with you to discuss the varying factors that contribute to cost and to make sure you choose the options that are best for your budget and your medical needs.

Wisdom teeth, which are also called third molars, usually erupt into the mouth in a person’s late teens or early twenties, though this varies from person to person. These teeth are called the wisdom teeth because they arrive at the time of adulthood, along with wisdom. Due to changes in the human diet, humans have smaller jaws and fewer teeth than we had thousands of years ago; many anthropologists believe that wisdom teeth are vestiges of our previous dietary needs, and, as a result of humans’ smaller jaws, they tend to grow in improperly and crowd other teeth. Even when they grow in properly, they are more susceptible to problems. In addition to being difficult to properly clean even when fully erupted, wisdom teeth can often be impacted, meaning that they never fully emerge beyond the gumline, making them even more challenging to clean and care for and encouraging bacteria to become trapped between the impacted tooth and the gumline.

Dentists will almost certainly recommend wisdom teeth extraction when the teeth develop frequent infections or progressive decay, which can affect the adjacent teeth as well. If teeth are significantly impacted, painful cysts may form around the teeth; these are best treated by removing the teeth. Many dentists also recommend wisdom teeth extraction based on evaluation of the mouth, both through observation and x-rays, if it is determined that the mouth is too small to comfortably accommodate the wisdom teeth and if the teeth are seen to be erupting erratically. Because the wisdom teeth don’t have fully developed roots when they are newly emerging in the mouth, many dentists and oral surgeons prefer to extract the teeth at this stage, before issues arise, when extraction is much easier and the healing process is faster.

For your teeth extraction, your dentist may refer you to an experienced oral maxillofacial surgeon. These surgical experts are highly trained and certified to administer general anesthesia, which your procedure may or may not require. Depending on the type of anesthesia used, wisdom tooth extraction can cost between $75 and $200 per tooth. If the teeth are impacted, this cost rises significantly, as impacted teeth must be surgically extracted and therefore general anesthesia will be used. Cost varies depending on your location as well; dental procedures in certain regions of the US cost more than in others. It is not uncommon for a procedure in which 4 impacted teeth are extracted while using general anesthesia to cost as much as $4,000. In most cases, however, these procedures are at least partly covered by dental insurance, and they may even be covered by some medical insurance policies. While this cost may seem daunting, the extraction procedure is a common, routine procedure that invariably prevents greater, more costly complications in the long run, and it is therefore an advisable investment in your overall oral health.

More on Tooth Extractions : Emergency Tooth Extraction