Wisdom Tooth Extractions – Carrollton, TX

Factors That Can Impact the Cost of Wisdom Tooth Extractions

When you first visit our office to discuss a wisdom tooth extraction, we’ll need to gather information about your mouth before we can figure out what the procedure will look like and how much it will cost. Here are just a few of the things we’ll look at:

• The Number of Teeth Involved with the Procedure: Some people have fewer wisdom teeth than others. The number of teeth that actually need to be removed will affect the amount you pay.
• Whether the Wisdom Teeth are Impacted: If the wisdom teeth have fully emerged, it may be possible to remove them with a simple extraction. But if they’re impacted (meaning they haven’t been able to erupt through the gums), a more costly surgical extraction may be required.
• Whether You Need Sedation: If you’re nervous about your wisdom tooth extraction, you might choose to have dental sedation performed. This incurs a separate cost from the procedure itself, and the type of sedation used makes a difference when it comes to the price.
• Whether a Specialist is Needed: Sometimes it may be necessary to have an outside specialist handle a particularly complex extraction procedure, which might add to the cost.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Wisdom Tooth Extractions?

Dental insurance plans often do help pay for wisdom tooth extractions. The coverage could be as low as 50% or as high as 80%; the exact amount is influenced by factors such as what plan you have and whether surgery is required.

We gladly accept most major PPO plans, and we’re in-network with Cigna, Delta Dental, and other popular providers. You can count on our team when it comes to filing your claims and making sure you get the benefits you deserve.

How to Make Wisdom Tooth Extractions Affordable

Besides insurance, there are a couple of other ways to make paying for wisdom tooth removal easier:

• Dental Membership Plan: One of the advantages of signing up for our in-house dental membership plan is that you can enjoy a 15 percent discount on a variety of necessary procedures.
• Financing: Are you familiar with CareCredit? This third-party financier can make wisdom tooth extractions less of a strain on your budget thanks to their low-to-no-interest payment plans.

How Should I Prepare for My Wisdom Tooth Extraction?

We’ll give you detailed instructions for how to handle preparing for your tooth extraction when we meet you in person, and the best way to make sure that the procedure goes well is to follow those guidelines as best you can. The details may vary, but some common advice includes:

• Don't eat or drink the night before receiving anesthesia.
• Stock up on soft foods for after the surgery.
• Wear comfortable clothing to the surgery, and wear glasses instead of contacts.
• Get a ride to and from the office—you can never be sure how anesthesia will affect you.
• Avoid smoking for at least 12 hours before the surgery.
• Let us know about any medication you take, as many can conflict with the anesthesia.

How Long Does Wisdom Tooth Surgery Take?

First of all, it’s worthwhile to note that you’re likely to be sedated for the duration of your surgery. As a consequence, you’re likely to feel like time hasn’t passed at all.

That said, it typically takes around 15-20 minutes to completely remove a wisdom tooth, so removing all four should only take 90 minutes at the most. Certain kinds of wisdom teeth are harder to deal with, like those that are impacted. We’ll be able to give you a bit of a better idea of the timeline of the procedure when we meet you in person.

When Can I Use a Straw After Wisdom Teeth Removal?

We strongly recommend against using a straw for the first few days after wisdom tooth removal. The suction involved can pull the emerging clot out of place and disrupt the healing process, a condition known as dry socket.

While the exact length of time varies depending on your capacity to heal, the general consensus is that you need to wait at least two or three days before drinking with a straw. We’ll be able to tailor this advice to you once we review your medical history more thoroughly.

Do Wisdom Teeth Stitches Dissolve?

It’s nearly always necessary to stitch up the wound after the removal of a wisdom tooth to allow for speedy healing. These stitches are typically made of a fabric designed to dissolve after a few weeks, but the time frame for that can vary a little bit.

There are, however, some stitches that don’t dissolve on their own. If you’ve gotten these, you’ll usually have to return to our office seven to ten days later to have your stitches removed.

Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth are an evolutionary redundancy that’s stuck around for thousands of years despite them not being useful anymore. It’s kind of like your appendix or your tailbone. Neither of these structures does anything for your body now, but your distant early-human ancestors may have needed them for survival. Wisdom teeth were used in a time when mankind still foraged for their food and ate a diet of tough nuts, raw meat, and other foods that required extra grinding. Today, we have modern conveniences, food processing, and the ability to cook, so wisdom teeth are no longer necessary, especially as our jaws have shrunk over time.

Is Wisdom Tooth Removal Painful?

Without modern anesthetics or techniques, it might be. However, at Celebration Family Dental of Carrollton, our first priority is your comfort. This is why we use local anesthetics to numb your mouth before the procedure begins. At most, you’ll feel some pressure or discomfort as your tooth is gently rocked back and forth to loosen it. Over the next few days, you may also experience some soreness in your jaw, but this is normal and should subside within a week. In the meantime, you can use a cold compress and over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen to control swelling and achiness.

What’s the Best Age to Get Wisdom Teeth Removed?

While there’s no specific age at which everyone should get their wisdom teeth removed, we recommend extraction soon after their development. While it’s possible that you may never have dental issues related to your wisdom teeth, it’s better to be safe than sorry. The risks associated with leaving them generally outweigh the benefits of taking them out. These include impaction, damage to adjacent teeth, and a higher risk of dental decay or the development of oral cysts. The longer your wisdom teeth settle into your mouth, the more difficult it can be to remove them, so it’s better to do it sooner than later.