The human mouth is relatively small and has room for about 28 teeth. This is the figure before third molars, or wisdom teeth, come in. Typically arriving between the ages of 18 and 25, wisdom teeth are additional dentition that serve no real purpose.
In addition to being painful, wisdom teeth are known to problematic in terms of their shape, direction of growth, and frequency of becoming impacted. As such, wisdom teeth are typically extracted. This article will examine the reasons for extraction, the type of impaction, and the related costs of treatment.
Reasons Why Wisdom Teeth Are Extracted
The five primary indicators for extraction are:
* The tooth is coming in at the wrong angle,
* There is insufficient room for the tooth,
* The tooth causes crowding,
* The tooth or surrounding gum is diseased, or
* The tooth becomes impacted
Roughly 85% of wisdom teeth will require eventual extraction and unfortunately, there is not much the patient can do about it, especially if already feeling pain. Furthermore, the older the patient is, the more difficult it can be to extract the wisdom teeth. As such, extraction is recommended as early as possible.
Failing to remove wisdom teeth can lead to:
* Tenderness, swelling, and discomfort,
* Foul taste and/or bad breath,
* Development of cysts (especially if impacted), and
* Damage to adjacent teeth, gums, and bone.
Types of Wisdom Teeth Impaction
An impacted tooth is one that cannot freely break through the gums. Impaction is categorized in four stages:
* Erupted: A tooth that is fully visible and has broken through the gums is not impacted. Removal is straight-forward, like a routine extraction, and takes about 20 minutes under local anesthesia. Simple cases of erupted wisdom teeth can be removed by a dentist but more complex cases could require an oral surgeon.
* Soft-tissue impaction: In these cases, the affected tooth is only trapped under the gums and the patient may experience discomfort and swelling. To extract such a tooth, the doctor will make an incision into the gum tissue. These extractions are also amongst the simpler, less expensive extraction procedures.
* Partially-bony impaction: Refers to a tooth that is partially blocked in the jaw. Often, sedation is needed for these procedures and the longer it takes, the more anesthesia will be required. Because anesthesia is often billed in 15-minute increments, cost can be significantly driven up if the procedure is lengthy.
* Fully-bony impaction: Indicates a tooth is completely stuck in the jawbone. These are the most complex cases and sedation will be required during the extraction.
Cost Related to Extraction
Cost of a wisdom tooth extraction is largely dictated by its state and position in the jaw. In general, wisdom tooth extraction will cost between $200 to over $1,000. Cost varies based on the type of wisdom tooth being extracted:
* Erupted: cost range $200 to $700
* Soft-tissue impaction: cost range $250 to $850
* Partially-bony impaction: cost range $300 to $950
* Fully-bony impaction: cost range $350 to $1,100
In addition to the extraction, other procedures may be needed that will further increase cost. These may include:
* Dental examination
* X-rays or imaging
* Anesthesia