Has your dentist told you that you need to have a tooth removed? Understanding all you can about the various types of tooth extractions (and their associated costs if you have no dental insurance) can eliminate any uneasiness you may have about your visit.
Why Do I Need My Tooth Pulled?
Dentists recommend extractions for several reasons.
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- If in severe pain, pulling a tooth may be the simplest, cheapest and quickest way to find relief.
- Your dentist may also recommend extraction if a damaged tooth is not repairable, or if fixing it is impractical (e.g. if it’s extensively decayed below the gum line).
- Impacted teeth or those associated with tumors can have a negative effect on your overall oral health if not extracted in a timely fashion.
- Teeth that are extremely overcrowded can affect your ability to bite and chew properly.
Types of Extractions
There are several types of extractions. Depending on the severity of the procedure you need, anesthesia or another means of treatment may also be involved.
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- In a simple extraction, your dentist removes your tooth by loosening the surrounding gums, grasping your tooth with forceps until it comes out.
- Your dentist will conduct a complex surgical extraction if there is no enamel showing above the gum line or if the tooth breaks off, leaving its roots still connected to the underlying bone. In a luxation procedure, a sharp instrument is forced between the root and the bone to pry it out. If luxation fails to gain the dentist enough purchase on the tooth, he or she must cut away some of the surrounding bone. After extraction, the hole is sutured and healing can begin.
- Removal of impacted teeth can be necessary in a situation in which a tooth has not fully erupted through the gum. Because a tooth that is impacted can eventually result in more complex problems, dentists usually recommend extracting them sooner rather than later. As in the complex surgical procedures described above, the dentist makes an incision into the gums around the tooth, creating a flap.
- What happens next depends on how much of the tooth remains above the bone. The extraction might be performed with the use of forceps as described above, or it could become more complicated. If the tooth is submerged below the bone or if it is lying on its side, the dentist must remove the surrounding bone to expose the tooth, then break it into pieces for easier removal (this is called a bony impaction). At the time of extraction, your dentist might also, for an extra fee, take steps to prevent bone loss and atrophy of your jaw.
- Wisdom teeth (or “third molars”) frequently need to be removed. Even if they are impacted, they can become infected via contact with germs from adjacent teeth. If they do erupt fully, they can often cause overcrowding that can lead to pain and bite problems. This type of extraction can vary from a straightforward removal with forceps of a fully erupted tooth to complex surgery for a bony impaction.
How Much Will It Cost Without Insurance?
The price depends on the complexity of the extraction you need. If you have no insurance and live in California, for example, here is what you can expect to pay for different types of extractions.
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- Simple extraction with forceps: $183
- Surgical extraction of erupted tooth requiring elevation of flap and removal of tooth or bone: $300
- Removal of impacted tooth – soft tissue: $341
- Removal of partially bony impacted tooth: $423
- Removal of completely bony impacted tooth: $522
- Surgical removal of residual roots: $330
Extractions and the Careington 500 Series Dental Plan
Many people who have no dental insurance opt to use discount dental plans, such as the Careington 500 Series, to cut the cost of dental treatments, including extractions. This plan is nationwide, but check out the level of savings an individual living in California, New York or Texas can receive with this plan, an affordable alternative to insurance. For the most up-to-date treatment prices in your area, please visit the 1Dental fee schedule and enter your zip code.
California Careington Members
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- Simple extraction with forceps: $68
- Surgical extraction of erupted tooth requiring elevation of flap and removal of tooth or bone: $169
- Removal of impacted tooth – soft tissue: $151
- Removal of partially bony impacted tooth: $191
- Removal of completely bony impacted tooth: $235
- Surgical removal of residual roots: $139
New York Members
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- Simple extraction with forceps: $68
- Surgical extraction of erupted tooth requiring elevation of flap and removal of tooth or bone: $157
- Removal of impacted tooth – soft tissue: $139
- Removal of partially bony impacted tooth: $180
- Removal of completely bony impacted tooth: $234
- Surgical removal of residual roots: $125
Texas Members
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- Simple extraction with forceps: $51
- Surgical extraction of erupted tooth requiring elevation of flap and removal of tooth or bone: $130
- Removal of impacted tooth – soft tissue: $104
- Removal of partially bony impacted tooth: $136
- Removal of completely bony impacted tooth: $196
- Surgical removal of residual roots: $104
Conclusion
Whatever the reason you need an extraction, you can now enter your dentist’s office armed with the knowledge you need to understand what’s happening in your mouth.
If you have no dental insurance, consider finding out about the various resources available to you like discount dental plans. Online research, as well as inquiring at your dentist’s office, can provide you with valuable pointers that can make paying for your extractions much easier.
