Wisdom Teeth Removal Cost in Los Angeles

Wisdom teeth removal costs in Los Angeles range from $75 to $2,300, based on the severity of the case and how many teeth are getting removed.

What Are Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth are 'extra' teeth that usually show up in the back of a patient's mouth. They typically emerge in the later teenage years or possibly young adulthood.

How Common Are They?

Four in 10 people have all four of their wisdom teeth. A quarter of all people wind up with one, two, or three.

Removing Them

More than half of people with wisdom teeth wind up getting them removed via surgery. General dentists are often qualified to remove these teeth, as well as oral surgeons. Most of the time, wisdom teeth get removed prior to eruption. Extraction might prove necessary since the mouth won't have room for them to come in properly. A third molar erupting improperly might lead to impacted teeth or infections.

Wisdom Teeth Removal Risks

While a patient's mouth might be healthier without wisdom teeth, there are potential risks involved:

• Bleeding
• Swelling
• Pain in the jaw and teeth
• Lower lip insensitivity
• Dry socket where a blood clot dislodges away from the extraction site while the body is healing
• Temporary or even permanent numbness in the patient's mouth
• Pain around the injection site in cases of IV sedation

Prior to Surgery

Before you or a member of your family has surgery, you will be checked out by your dentist for any signs of current gum disease. Your dentist will also take a panoramic CB-CT or X-ray image. Any patient looking to minimize their anxiety or even fall asleep during their surgery can undergo general anesthesia. There is also IV sedation known as twilight sedation available for anyone wanting it.

Do They Have to Go?

Most oral and maxillofacial surgeons recommend extracting wisdom teeth even if none of them show signs of extraction. However, if just one tooth is a source of pain or infection, then all four will probably have to be extracted. Patients do always have the final decision about keeping wisdom teeth or not.

The Costs Involved

Paying out-of-pocket for wisdom teeth removal can be truly expensive. Consider the following averages:

• Simple Cases: Per tooth: $75 - $200 / All four: $300 - $1,000
• Surgical Extraction With Soft Tissue Impaction: Per tooth: $225 - $600 / All four: $800 - $1,800
• Surgical Extraction With Bony Impaction: Per tooth: $250 - $500 / All four: $1,000 - $2,300

How to Save Money

There are four primary ways to save money on having wisdom teeth extracted. They include package discounts, payment plans, and discount dental plans.

Package Discounts

Even if your dentist doesn't offer advertised package discounts, it's still worth asking about if you need to have all four teeth removed. Since your dentist will only be setting up once, the costs and labor involved with the second, third, and fourth wisdom teeth should be lower. Try to use this to negotiate a package deal, as some dentists will mark down their total price by $1,000 or more.

Payment Plans

Not all dentists will require the full costs paid in advance or at the time of the surgery. Many will let you establish a payment plant where you pay off the surgery in installments over the course of several months. In such cases, you pay the dentist's office directly rather than using using your insurance.

Dental Insurance

Not all dental insurance plans pay coverage for the removal of wisdom teeth, so you have to consult the provisions of your active policy. For that matter, you also need to see what percentage they pay and what the caps are. Many insurance plans cover up to 80 percent of the costs involved with the extraction of wisdom teeth, so you'd still be liable for at least 20 percent of the costs. Furthermore, many dental insurance plans cap out the annual benefits they pay out. This is often approximately $1,500. If your projected costs are in excess of this, you might need to split up how many teeth you get taken out at once. Straddling the overall procedure over two years will get you additional coverage.

Discount Dental Plans

Discount dental plans offer savings of specific dental procedures, ranging from 10 percent up to 60 percent. This happens without limits, caps, or restrictions. These plans offer other advantages, including but limited to the following:

• A single yearly fee instead of monthly
• Discounts last all year long
• Access to a broad network of dentists who honor the discounts to plan members
• No applications or approvals involved

In Conclusion

Nobody looks forward to getting their wisdom teeth taken out, and many older generations pass along horror stories about it. Having said that, there are benefits to having it done, and modern procedures are far easier to deal with. Learn what is currently possible by contacting My Dentist in Los Angeles for your consultation.