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By Arthur Kezian
How Much Does a Tooth Extraction Cost? Answers from a Los Angeles Emergency Dentist
Once you're past the days of the Tooth Fairy, you don't expect to lose any teeth. But as strong as they are, there are certain times when you need one of your teeth extracted.
Why? And if you have to go through a tooth extraction, how much is it going to cost?
The most common tooth extraction is having your wisdom teeth taken out. It's estimated that a whopping 85% of adults get their wisdom teeth extracted at some point. The specific reason behind all of these extractions varies. In many cases, the wisdom teeth are "impacted", meaning that they are actually stuck inside your jaw and never actually come through the gum tissue. For others, the problem is an infection, a cyst, or significant decay that has developed. And for some people, the pain their wisdom teeth cause is enough of a reason to have them extracted.
When it comes to wisdom teeth surgery, the sooner you have it done, the better. The longer you wait, the more time your teeth's roots have to grow and strengthen. As you can imagine, the bigger your roots are, the more painful it's going to be to remove them. Plus, the bones surrounding your wisdom teeth get harder with age -- something else that can make the aftermath of your wisdom teeth surgery more painful.
And yes, we said "surgery". Even though it can be done in your dentist's office, having your wisdom teeth extracted is a surgical procedure. You'll either be sedated or given general anesthesia. From there, your dentist will cut open your gum tissue and remove any bones that are blocking your wisdom teeth. Then, he'll cut through the tissue that connects your wisdom teeth to the surrounding bones. After that, he can remove the actual teeth and stitch up the area.
How much does this cost?
Your specific cost will be determined by the type of surgery you need. As you can probably guess, costs are done on a per-tooth basis, so if you need all four wisdom teeth extracted, you'll pay significantly more than someone who only needs one pulled.
The number of teeth you need extracted can also affect other parts of your surgery -- and, thus, affects the price you pay. For example, if you only need one wisdom tooth extracted, your dentist may only need to use a local anesthetic instead of a full-blown general anesthetic. And, you may need fewer follow-up visits if you only have one tooth extracted, which will keep your cost lower. But as a general rule, count on spending anywhere from $200 to $600 per tooth.
What about other tooth extractions?
Wisdom teeth aren't the only ones that get removed. The best Los Angeles emergency dentist can extract teeth for all kinds of reasons, including:
- A severe infection that has developed, especially in people who are undergoing cancer or organ transplant treatments because these drugs weaken the immune system
- A fear of medical complications, especially with certain intravenous drugs that require a tooth extraction before the treatment begins
- Teeth that have decayed so severely that even a root canal can't save them
- Baby teeth that never fell out before the permanent teeth began growing in
- Severely misaligned teeth that are blocking the path for other teeth to be moved with braces or other orthodontic devices
- Teeth that are too big
- Additional teeth that grew in, beyond the 32 permanent teeth that adults have
- Teeth that never came in and are trapped underneath the gum tissue
- Teeth that were severely damaged by some kind of physical trauma
- Teeth that have been loosened by severe gum disease
In some cases, tooth extractions need to be done on an emergency basis. Typically, these emergency procedures are done on teeth that have been damaged by physical trauma. If you've had a permanent tooth completely knocked out, a skilled emergency dentist can re-attach it if you get to him soon enough. If you've had a tooth broken, chipped, or cracked -- but still physically attached to the root -- it's still an emergency situation. The sooner you see your emergency dentist, the more options he has to treat the situation. Remember, tooth extraction is always the worst-case scenario!
It's not just physical damage that you need to worry about, though. An infection can quickly turn into an emergency extraction if the pain becomes severe enough. This is why it's so important to make an appointment with your dentist as soon as you notice that something's wrong. The sooner you get in to see your dentist, the lower your chances of needing a tooth extracted!
Regardless of the cause, most of these tooth extractions are called "simple extractions". Unlike wisdom tooth surgery -- where you're actually knocked out during the procedure -- simple extractions only require a local anesthetic. And instead of using surgical tools to cut into your bones and gum tissue, your emergency dentist will use a couple of basic tools during a simple tooth extraction. He'll use an elevator if the tooth needs to be loosened, and then he'll use a forceps to physically pull the tooth out. Once he's done, he'll stitch up the affected area if necessary.
As you can probably guess, simple extractions cost less than their more complex counterparts! Again, the specific dollar amount that you pay will vary depending on your situation, but the average ranges from $75 to $200 per tooth. You may have to pay additional fees if your tooth was extracted after-hours as an emergency procedure. You may also have to pay extra if your dentist needed to use various diagnostic tools -- like taking x-rays, for example -- before he could perform the extraction. And, your costs will go up if your dentist needed to do anything "extra" during the procedure -- like removing gum tissue that was covering the tooth before it could be extracted.
Fortunately, if you have dental insurance, you'll have some help footing the bills -- whether you're dealing with a planned wisdom tooth surgery or an emergency tooth extraction. If you don't have insurance, though, don't panic. Many dentists around Los Angeles offer payment plans, and there are also third-party financing companies that specialize in situations like these.
Once you leave the dentist's office, the actions you take could expose you to more costs.
For example, smokers and women who take birth control pills are more likely to develop a condition called "dry sockets" a few days after their extraction. This occurs because your blood doesn't clot in the affected area like it's supposed to. As a result, your bone is exposed to air and food, causing pain and a bad odor. The only way your dentist can fix a dry socket is to apply a special medicated dressing to the area. And, yes, you'll wind up paying extra for your return trip to the dentist's chair!
As scary as it can be, don't put off a trip to the dentist just because you're afraid of how much it will cost. If you truly need a tooth extracted -- whether it's an emergency or not -- waiting is only going to make things worse!