When facing the prospect of any dental procedure, from a simple cleaning to oral surgery, cost is always an important thing to consider. Knowing how much of an impact a procedure will make on your finances can relieve undue financial stress, but the exact out-of-pocket cost of your specific treatment plan can vary according to factors, including:
The Type of Extraction You Need
As the name suggests, simple extractions are relatively straightforward, can often be performed using only local anesthetic and nitrous oxide, and require little downtime. Surgical extractions, on the other hand, are usually performed under oral or IV sedation and require at least 1-3 days of recovery time afterward. As you can probably guess, a complex surgical extraction (which most wisdom teeth removals are) will involve a higher cost than a simple extraction.
The Complexity of Your Case
Your wisdom teeth, for better or worse, are unique. You may have just a single partial soft-tissue impaction or four full-bony impacted molars. Your wisdom teeth may lay in close proximity to your sinuses or nerve bundles. You may need additional x-rays to accurately diagnose your case or require additional sedation if you have severe anxiety associated with visiting the dentist. A huge range of highly individualized concerns can impact the final cost of your procedure, but rest assured that your dentist will only recommend those treatments that are essential to ensuring your optimal oral health.
Your Insurance Plan
What your dental insurance will and will not cover can be extremely complex. For instance, some insurance plans might cover the entire cost of the procedure while other may only cover half. Some may cover the cost of sedation while others will not. Work closely with your dentist’s front desk coordinator. These dental insurance experts will file all claims on your behalf so that you will receive the maximum benefit allowed by your plan.
Your Location
It might be a little unfair, but where you live (and where your dentist practices) influences the cost of dental care. As a general rule, dentists practicing in large, urban areas have higher fees than dentists in smaller towns.
About Shawn Hofkes, DDS
With advanced training in oral and maxillofacial surgery, Shawn Hofkes, DDS is qualified to provide comfortable, safe wisdom teeth extractions from our state-of-the-art dentist office in Cerritos, CA. To schedule your appointment or consultation with Dr. Hofkes, contact us today. We proudly serve patients of all ages from Cerritos, Lakewood, Long Beach, Buena Park, and all surrounding communities.
