Wisdom Teeth Removal: Your Tooth Extraction Guide

Authored By: Greg Johnstone
Reviewed By: Robert V. Fontanesi, DDS

Wisdom teeth removal is a fairly common oral surgery. Wisdom teeth molars typically develop at age 10 and may begin to surface any time during adolescence or in a person's twenties. In many cases, wisdom teeth (also known as third molars) may become impacted against adjacent teeth, preventing them from surfacing. Impacted wisdom teeth may become painful and problematic, at which point they are often extracted through minor oral surgery.

Dentists are keenly aware of the disadvantages of keeping wisdom teeth, some of which include the potential shifting of surrounding teeth, jaw pain and interruptions with normal sinus functionality. Yet, the decision to extract is your dentist's.

To Extract or Not to Extract?

Dentists previously determined whether to remove wisdom teeth using the only diagnostic tool they had at their disposal: a dental examination.

Dentists may use one or more dental technologies during a dental examination to diagnose the necessity for a wisdom tooth extraction (such as panoramic and digital X-rays). These technologies can help determine candicacy for extraction and the best means to approach the procedure. They are also used to help identify additional risks that may impact your dentist's approach to the procedure, such as the anatomical features of the tooth and surrounding structures.

The complication risks associated with extraction for people over 35 are greater than those of younger candidates. People over 50 faced with extraction are at a greater risk of complications because the bone fuses to the teeth as we age. There is also a risk of numbness in the extraction area.

Ultimately, if you wait to remove wisdom teeth until there is cause for medical concern, the risk for all complications increases. Today, dentists often recommend removing potentially problematic wisdom teeth by age 18.

Wisdom Tooth Extraction

The removal of wisdom teeth prior to eruption involves a surgical procedure that is far from a simple tooth extraction. Some general dentists have the skill required to remove impacted or un-erupted wisdom teeth; however, most people require the services of an oral surgeon. In fact, many patients prefer to be asleep or heavily sedated for the procedure. Thus, dentists performing wisdom teeth removal must have the equipment and skill necessary to sedate or provide general anesthesia to patients (see sedation dentistry).

The risks involved with extracting a wisdom tooth include, but are not limited to:

• Pain
• Bleeding
• Swelling
• Persistent sinus opening
• Lower lip numbness

Cost of Wisdom Tooth Extraction

The cost of wisdom tooth extraction depends on a number of factors, including:

• The experience of the dentist.
• The location of the dentist.
• The type of dental insurance you have.
• The extent of the procedure.

Wisdom teeth removal can range in price from $140 to $400 per tooth. This cost range does not include fees associated with sedation, X-rays, possible oral surgery necessities or the proximity of the wisdom tooth to surrounding teeth and nerves. Extraction costs for impacted wisdom teeth are significantly higher than for erupted wisdom teeth.

Depending on the type of dental insurance you have, insurance companies may provide a 15 percent reimbursement or up to a 50 percent absorption of the total procedure costs.

[Updated June 7, 2010]

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