How Much to Get My Wisdom Teeth Removed

A wisdom tooth extraction cost ranges from $160 to $489 depending on how impacted your wisdom tooth is. However, your wisdom teeth surgery cost in TOTAL depends on 3 factors:

number of wisdom teeth being removed
the position of the wisdom teeth in the jaw which determines the extent of surgery needed to get the wisdom teeth pulled out
are you doing it awake or with sedation or asleep?
- there is an additional cost for sedation and sleep dentistry
- the higher the level of sedation the higher the cost

Most commonly, wisdom teeth surgery cost is about $1,800, it involves the extraction of 4 wisdom teeth while asleep.

WARNING:

CONSIDER ALL THE WISDOM TEETH REMOVAL COSTS BEFORE DOING THE SURGERY:

wisdom teeth aftermath: pain, swelling, bruising, malaise, limited jaw opening ( trismus)
wisdom teeth recovery: missed days at school/ work
wisdom teeth complications: dry socket, infection
other less likely but possible wisdom teeth complications:

BUT WAIT! CHANCES ARE YOU DO NOT NEED YOUR WISDOM TEETH OUT?!!!

The shocking truth is that more than half the people who end up getting their wisdom teeth removed did NOT need to have them pulled in the first place:

National Institute of Clinical Excellence set guidelines to discontinue the removal of wisdom teeth

American Public Health Association: Opposes Removal of Wisdom Teeth

National Institute of Health: Experts NOW Say NOT to Remove your Wisdom Teeth

Wouldn't it be great if you could keep your wisdom teeth without any negative health consequences = wisdom teeth removal cost: ZERO! :)

How is it possible that wisdom teeth removal is so commonly done and yet in most cases it is not needed?

Wisdom teeth removal cost totals yearly about $4 billion dollars in The United States. In Canada, patients spend about four hundred million dollars, $400,000,000, each and every year on wisdom teeth removal! BIG BUSINESS!

As with all big business, part of that money gets used to feed misinformation and myths about wisdom teeth. Look at wisdom teeth dentist websites, almost all of them will be promoting the removal of wisdom teeth. You have been convinced that you need wisdom teeth pulled because of the truth effect on your psychology: lies appear to be true when the lie is repeated again and again and again…

Most people who live in Canada or United Sates will end up with a recommendation to have their wisdom teeth removed. Most people who live in Europe will end up with a recommendation NOT to have their wisdom teeth removed. So all you need to do is to move to Europe and your wisdom teeth surgery cost will be ZERO! :)

So how do you make sense of all this conflicting information and decide what is right for you?

The most common reasons why wisdom teeth removal is recommended are NOT TRUE:

1) you have wisdom teeth pain, jaw pain, headache, gum pain or ear pain so you are motivated to get the wisdom teeth out and get rid of the pain

the TRUTH is that when the wisdom teeth are growing in ( age 16 to 21), often it is painful, similar to the pain a baby feels when teething , however the wisdom teeth pain will go away once the wisdom teeth stop growing in

2) you are going to have problems with your wisdom teeth in the future

the TRUTH is that only about 10-20% of wisdom teeth ever develop problems

3) early removal is less traumatic

the TRUTH is that allowing the wisdom teeth to grow in as much as they will means:

- - a less extensive surgery because they will be closer to the surface
  - quicker recovery
  - fewer complications
  - lower wisdom teeth surgery cost

4) wisdom teeth crowding front teeth

the TRUTH: "removal of third molars to reduce or prevent late incisor crowding cannot be justified"

When is it ok to leave your wisdom teeth in?

when your wisdom teeth are FULLY impacted, which means they are completely covered and sealed off by the gum tissue. Food and bacteria can NOT get to the wisdom teeth, as such you are extremely unlikely ( about 2%) chance of ever having ANY problems
when food and bacteria can get to the wisdom teeth BUT you keep the wisdom teeth clean
you are over the age of 30 and have never had problems with your wisdom teeth

90% of the problems with wisdom teeth have to do with food and bacteria getting to the wisdom teeth which causes cavities and gum/ bone problems.

When should I have my wisdom teeth removed?

tooth decay a.k.a. dental cavity a.k.a. dental caries a.k.a. A HOLE in your tooth
infection; especially if you had cellulitis or have recurrent pericoronitis
the wisdom tooth has a cyst
you are unable to keep the wisdom teeth clean

WISDOM TEETH REMOVAL COST: ALL THE DETAILS

The cost of your wisdom teeth surgery depends on 3 factors:

1) number of wisdom teeth being removed

2) extent of surgery needed ( simple/easy/medium/hard) to get the wisdom tooth pulled out; dentists use a Fee Guide for billing which specifies the cost for a specific extent of surgery:

- $160 for Simple
- $245 for Easy: requiring manipulation of the gum tissue
- $367 for Medium: requires the manipulation of gum AND bone OR sectioning of tooth
- $489 Hard: requires the manipulation of gum AND Bone AND sectioning of tooth

Typically the upper wisdom teeth tend to be easy and lower wisdom teeth tend to be medium to hard as the lower jaw bone is 10 times harder than the top jaw bone.

3) Type and length of sedation:

- most people chose to have sedation to maximize their comfort during the surgery; the more extensive the surgery the more beneficial to you to have a higher level of sedation
- sedation cost is based on time and type, it is a service in addition to the cost of the extractions; the deeper the sedation the higher the cost:

- - - No sedation: 0 additional cost; make sure the dentist is compassionate
    - Laughing Gas: 1 hour: $140, 1.5 hours: $186
    - Oral Sedation: 1 hour: $140, 1.5 hours: $186
    - Laughing Gas with Oral Sedation: 1 hour: $183, 1.5 hours: $252
    - Deep I.V. Sedation: 1 hour: $310, 1.5 hours: $424
    - General Anaesthesia: 1 hour: $561, 1.5 hours: $801

To summarize, the most common wisdom teeth surgery cost in TOTAL is around $1,800, because those who get the surgery done get all 4 wisdom teeth out and have deep sedation or do it asleep .

CONCLUSION:

STEPS YOU Should take to MINIMIZE:

ALL the wisdom teeth removal costs!!!

(Minimize financial costs and the burden of recovery and potential complications)

1) Realize that it is likely that you do NOT need your wisdom teeth out, even if you have been told that you need your wisdom teeth removed, even if you have pain. Wisdom teeth removal cost: $0, no recovery, no complications.
2) Find a wisdom tooth dentist that will consider ALL the wisdom teeth removal costs and carefully weight these costs against the benefits of the surgery.

BUYER BEWARE:

- a wisdom tooth dentist that overestimates the benefits of wisdom teeth removal and downplays the costs is not acting in your best interests

- a dentist that is not taking into consideration your overall well-being is not acting in your best interests

-a dentist that is not taking into consideration your well-being over your lifetime is not acting in your best interests

- a dentist who's livelihood depends on wisdom teeth removal is bias and is likely to recommend the surgery

3) At your wisdom teeth consultation, ask the dentist if food can get to your wisdom teeth. If food can NOT get to your wisdom teeth, you should NOT do the surgery.
4) If you decided to have the wisdom teeth surgery, wait until the wisdom teeth have come in as far as they will ever come in, this will reduce:
- - your recovery time
  - the chance of complications
  - wisdom teeth removal cost

A dentist who tells you that you need your wisdom teeth out ASAP is not acting in your best interests. Wisdom teeth removal "can wait", unless you have a huge cavity or have a significant infection.

In the best interest of your health and well-being,

Dr. Joanne Baldos and Dr. Adam Szymczak

How Much to Get My Wisdom Teeth Removed

Source: https://www.smilecaredental.ca/blog/wisdom-teeth-removal-cost-in-2020-the-whole-truth

Schuler Wheint