Cost of Wisdom Teeth Removal

Wisdom teeth emerge when someone is between late teens and early adult years. However, over 60% of people have them removed by either general dentists or oral surgeons before they fully erupt to prevent an infection that could occur due to lack of enough space for the tooth.

About 40% of people have all four wisdom teeth intact, and even though they may not be infected or painful, oral maxillofacial surgeons recommend extraction. It is, however, a choice that every patient has a right to make.

Before the extraction, dentists check the patients for any gum disease signs. They also take a CBCT image or a panoramic x-ray. IV sedation and anesthesia are available if patients prefer them, and they help put the patient to sleep and reduce anxiety.

Wisdom tooth removal is expensive without insurance, especially for patients who pay out-of-pocket, even though some dentists offer a discount for removing all four. The average extraction price without insurance ranges between;

• Simple removal- $75-$200 for a tooth and $300-$1000 for all four.
• Surgical removal/ soft tissue impaction- $225-$600 for a tooth and $800-$1800 for all four.
• Surgical extraction/ bony impaction- $250-$500 for a tooth and $1000-$2300 for all four.

Whether wisdom teeth removal is covered by insurance depends on the insurance plan. Although most insurance companies cover 80% of the removal costs, many dental insurance plans limit the money they payout for all their customers’ dental care annually.

That leads many patients to split the removal process into two years to get the most out of their insurance plans. Seeing that wisdom teeth extraction is a costly process, patients need other ways to save for it.

Payment Plans

For patients who do not have insurance coves, payment plans are an excellent way to efficiently finance the removal process. That allows the patient to pay their dentist or oral surgeon a portion of the fees over a few months.

It allows the patient to agree with the surgeon or dentist what amount they will be comfortable paying, the means of payment, and timelines.

Discount Dental Plans

This allows the patient to get some money off the original removal fees. There are various discount dental plans that patients can use, which have the same benefits;

• Paying a lower annual fee instead of paying a monthly fee.
• Discounts are given to members of certain clinics on dental procedures throughout the year without them paying their insurance monthly.
• Having access to a group of dentists offering slashed prices to members of discount dental plans.
• Patients can take their IDs directly to the dentist without any application forms or approvals needed to save on the removal process fee.

Careington is another well-known dental discount option that provides 20-50% savings on patients' dental care costs. Patients have no limit on their dental work annual spending, unlike insurance covers.

Also, unlike insurance, where patients have to pay a monthly fee, this dental discount plan allows patients to pay one low annual fee, and they can use the Careington dental discount plan for saving on treatment throughout the year.

For many patients, dental discount plans replace dental insurance plans because of their convenience and affordability.