If you feel intense discomfort in your back teeth, get frequent headaches, or have tender gums, you may need to have your wisdom tooth extracted. Wisdom tooth removal is a common dental procedure and failing to remove wisdom teeth can lead to several health problems.
Many people avoid wisdom tooth extraction due to the wisdom teeth removal cost. However, having a wisdom tooth removed can prevent the added expense of future dental treatments caused by poor oral hygiene or misalignment.
Wisdom teeth can be challenging to keep clean because of their location in your mouth and an impacted, or crooked wisdom tooth can adversely affect your bite, causing headaches and wear and tear on your teeth due to misalignment.
Do I Need a Wisdom Tooth Extraction?
Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars that emerge at the end of each arch. Your wisdom teeth do not serve an essential function in your mouth and can cause problems later on if they do not emerge fully or in the right position.
A wisdom tooth that fails to erupt or erupts at an angle is called an impacted tooth and can have serious consequences for your oral health, including:
- Jaw and tooth misalignment
- Crowding of the front teeth
- Increased risk of tooth decay
- Gum disease and inflammation
- Loss of neighbouring teeth
- Infection
- Cysts
You don’t need to wait until you experience symptoms before visiting your dentist to discuss your wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth usually emerge between the ages of 17 and 25. Regular visits with your dentist for a cleaning and exam can help your dentist detect whether your wisdom teeth could potentially emerge poorly.
Your dentist can monitor your wisdom teeth and determine whether extraction is in the best interests of your long-term oral health.
What Is the Wisdom Tooth Removal Cost in Australia?
There is no standardised wisdom teeth removal price across Australia. The overall cost depends on a number of factors, including:
- The Number of Teeth to Be Extracted
Wisdom teeth removal cost is priced per tooth, so the total cost of your wisdom tooth removal procedure will be the combined cost of all the teeth removed. The more teeth you need removed, the more expensive your treatment will be.
- The Type of Procedure
Most wisdom tooth extractions are simple procedures that can be performed with a local anesthetic or sedation dentistry in the dentist’s chair. However, for severely impacted teeth or complex wisdom tooth removal, you may need to be admitted to a hospital and placed under general anaesthesia.
Hospital admission, the cost of hiring an anesthesiologist, and a maxillofacial surgeon can increase the wisdom teeth removal cost significantly. This is why dentists recommend extracting wisdom teeth as soon as you notice any symptoms or sooner as a preventative measure.
- Referral to a Specialist
In some cases, you may have a complex medical history or the tooth may be wrapped around a nerve. This may mean that you need to be referred to a specialist which adds to the wisdom teeth removal price due to the cost of the consultation and subsequent surgery.
Is Wisdom Tooth Removal Covered by Medicare?
Medicare does not generally cover any dental procedures, including wisdom tooth extraction. However, some patients may be eligible for certain government health concessions that may cover part of the wisdom teeth removal price.
If you are eligible for dental care under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) for children between 2 and 17 or the Veterans Affairs Scheme, No Gaps Dental offers Medicare bulk billing for faster dental treatment.
These concessions cover the cost of exams, x-rays, and extractions up to $1,000 which can help to alleviate the financial burden of the wisdom teeth removal cost.
Can I Claim Wisdom Tooth Removal on Private Insurance?
Most standard health insurance policies include General Dental coverage as part of their extras coverage package. However, wisdom tooth extractions are considered as a Major Dental procedure that may not be covered by your policy.
If you are admitted to a hospital for a complex wisdom tooth removal, you may be able to claim the wisdom teeth removal price under your hospital coverage. Check with your health insurance provider about your exact level of coverage. Remember that some providers have a waiting period before you can make a claim.
At No Gaps Dental, we have HICAPS machines available at all our dental practice locations to make it quicker and easier for you to make an insurance claim immediately after your procedure.
Payment Plans for Wisdom Tooth Removal
At No Gaps Dental, we believe that all our patients deserve quality dental care when they need it, which is why we offer a payment plan in conjunction with MacCredit to enable you to get wisdom tooth removal without waiting. Successful applicants are eligible for up to $70,000 for dental procedures with repayments as low as $30 per week to ease the financial burden of having your wisdom tooth extracted.
Applicants simply need to show proof of income, and your application can be processed and approved within 48 hours. The money is transferred directly to your nominated account.
The Takeaway
The best way to minimise your wisdom teeth removal price is with regular visits to your dentist. Booking bi-annual cleanings and exams enable your dentist to monitor your oral health.
If you are experiencing wisdom tooth discomfort or have any oral health concerns, call No Gaps Dental on (02) 8007 6727 to book an appointment.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.