The 3 Biggest Factors Affecting the Cost of Wisdom Tooth Removal
In our modern era, adults are more likely to put off dental work and avoid the extra cost when they see it as a risk to their aesthetic or comfort. However, dental work should be thought of as a risk to our own health and well-being, and therefore, worth the cost. The longer you leave your dental appointment, the more likely it is for other health issues to arise, whether from a wisdom tooth impaction or simply your enamel wearing away leading to the need for a filling or crown.
Of course, at Tooth Crusader we always recommend booking your regular check-up as soon as possible to help control the risk to your health and to keep an eye on any problem teeth – particularly those pesky third molars more commonly known as your wisdom teeth. With the majority of the world’s population suffering from impacted wisdom teeth, the extraction process has become one of the most common dental procedures, so you can trust that our team has plenty of expertise in this area. As each client requires individual treatment plans, there are several factors that will affect the cost of wisdom tooth removal – the biggest three being the type of extraction, the surgeon, and insurance coverage. Let’s explore why these influence the price so much.
#1. Type of Extraction
There are generally two different procedures we, as dentists, can use to remove your wisdom tooth: soft tissue impaction and hard tissue impaction. For soft tissue impaction, a patient usually has a partially erupted wisdom tooth through the gum tissue may still be attached and surrounding the tooth. However, there are some instances where some of the bone structures have erupted with the teeth or when the tooth can’t come out of the gum line and remains inside the jaw bone. These last two procedures are much more complicated and will therefore afford an additional cost.
#2. The Surgeon
If you’ve got a more difficult wisdom tooth removal procedure ahead of you, you may need the help of a specialised surgeon. The location and special expertise of this dentist will likely cost you more money. Additionally, if you are in a more remote area, your wisdom tooth removal may cost more due to the lower accessibility of resources in these areas costing the dental practice more money to stock items.
#3. Insurance Coverage
If you have private health insurance, it’s important you choose a dentist that provides treatment for the insurance company you’re covered by. This will help keep out of pocket expenses to a minimum. If you have recently joined a private health provider, be sure to check the waiting period as most of these businesses require you to wait 6-12 months before they will cover any dental procedures.
Book Your Wisdom Tooth Removal with Tooth Crusader
There are more costs that will affect the final tally of your wisdom tooth removal such as overhead costs for X-rays or CT scans and any anesthetic you require, but the three listed above are the ones most likely to add the biggest dollars signs to your bill. As a Sydney dentist, we are lucky to operate in a city area where shipping of our products and technology doesn’t afford us an additional fee which helps to keep our prices down. We will also talk you through your surgery options to see which is most suitable for you. We also accept a wide range of private health providers to ensure you get your dental treatment when you need it most without worry about out-of-pocket expenses. Give our team at Tooth Crusader a call today on (02) 8097 1838.