Extraction cost of teeth depends on many factors. This article will give you a ballpark figure for the cost involved and analyze what all is inclusive in it.
To get tooth extraction done is an inevitable decision we have to make sometimes. The aim of this article is the presentation of cost analysis, for this procedure. The reason for extraction may either be that the tooth is impacted and is affecting the growth pattern of other teeth or it’s plain old decayed to the core (beyond salvation by a root canal!). In most cases, decay is the reason for extraction. Whatever may be the reason, it is always a painful experience.
However, thanks to local anesthesia procedure and pain killers, it’s not as painful as it used to be in earlier days. Still you must brace yourself for some amount of pain and inconvenience for some time to come after the extraction. Regular dental care is essential if you want to stop things from getting worse and ultimately ending up into an extraction. In this HealthHearty article, I provide you with a rough estimate of what it costs to get your tooth extracted in USA.
Factors Affecting the Cost
When it comes to extraction, dentistry is plain old masonry. There is no other way than ripping the tooth out. It is plain old brutal. The skill of a dentist lies in how deftly he does it, with minimum damage and inflicting as less pain as possible. You pay him for that skill of his. The tooth is encased in a bony socket and connected by a ligament.
For extraction, the socket needs to be gently widened and the tooth pulled out deftly. However, there may be complications involved, if the tooth is too firmly connected and deep rooted. A dry socket after tooth extraction is a condition which must be prevented. Wisdom teeth extraction is more complicated due to this reason.
A cost estimate, can be accurately provided by a qualified dentist, after he sees the condition of your tooth and it may vary according to complications involved. Most dentists would like to think that people get teeth extracted for their skill, but cost is also an important factor, when it comes to deciding which dentist one opts for. Usually people opt for dentists through recommendations by friends or colleagues.
Most of the time, a man is in such pain due to a tooth ache, that he just wants the damn tooth removed as soon as possible! He doesn’t care what the tooth removal cost is. Cost of extraction will be decided by a lot of factors, which will be discussed further. Whatever be your criteria for choosing a dentist, here I give you an estimate about the tooth removal cost involved in different cases.
Typical Cost Involved
Here is a brief overview of tooth removal cost estimates according to the specifications of a procedure, in USA:
Simple Tooth
A simple extraction wherein the tooth is in a fully erupted state with shallow root connections, will cost about $100 to $150. In some places, such a simple extraction may also cost as low as $75.
Surgical Tooth Removal
Sometimes the tooth to be extracted may be half erupted, impacted, broken or have other complications like bone covering. In broken tooth case, the tooth removal cost is between $150 to $300. Cost of impacted tooth extraction ranges from $200 to $350. Cost of extracting a tooth with bone covering or other complications may be anywhere between $300 to $600.
Wisdom Tooth
If you are wondering how much does wisdom tooth removal cost, then provided it’s fully erupted, it will cost you $150 to $300. In case the wisdom tooth is half erupted or impacted, the wisdom teeth removal may cost somewhere around $350 to $650. Wisdom teeth removal recovery takes a lot more time than simple extraction.
The fees mentioned above in all cases are inclusive of followup visits and the whole surgical procedure itself. Wisdom teeth removal cost is the highest. Most dental insurance plans cover about 70% to 80% of the extraction cost, unless you are undergoing the procedure for cosmetic reasons. There may be additional cost involved for initial consultation ($50 – $135), X-ray fees ($13 to $135) and sedation ($200 to $400). So all in all, the extraction may cost somewhere around $1000 including all pre-operative and post operative procedures. So it pays to have invested in a dental insurance plan.
Removing a tooth is an option when it’s completely beyond salvation by a root canal procedure or any other means. Dental situations should not and in most circumstances cannot be delayed for long, as the pain itself makes it impossible. Ergo, in most situations, unless you have been smart enough to invest in a dental insurance plan, you are at the mercy of the dentist and there is no option other than shelling out what he charges! Therefore, it’s worth investing time in maintaining dental hygiene and arranging for dental insurance in advance.