It depends almost entirely on how the tooth is sitting. A wisdom tooth that has come through cleanly is priced like an ordinary extraction. One that is impacted, angled into the tooth in front, or sitting close to the nerve is a surgical removal, takes longer, and costs more. Sedation is a separate cost again. An X-ray is what tells us which of those you are, which is why a proper quote comes after the assessment and not over the phone.
We'll give you a figure, not a range
Quoting a national average here wouldn't help you much - the cost depends on your teeth. After an examination we'll give you a written plan with the cost of each item, before any treatment is booked. Ring 03 441 8248 and we'll arrange it.
What changes the price
- Whether the tooth has erupted or is impacted in the bone
- The angle it is sitting at, and whether it is pressing on the molar in front
- How close the roots are to the nerve in the lower jaw
- Whether the tooth needs sectioning to come out
- How many wisdom teeth are being removed, and whether they are done in one visit
- Whether you have happy gas, oral sedation or IV sedation
- Whether the case is complex enough to refer to a specialist oral surgeon
The X-ray is what decides the price
There is no single price for a wisdom tooth, and anyone quoting you one without looking is guessing. A panoramic X-ray shows the whole jaw: where the roots sit, the angle of the tooth, and how close it is to the nerve running through the lower jaw. That picture is what separates a ten-minute extraction from a proper surgical removal.
It is a fair question to ask at the assessment: is this a simple or a surgical removal, and what is the figure for each. You should leave knowing the number before anything is booked.
All four at once, or one at a time?
Removing several in one appointment usually costs less in total than the same teeth done across separate visits, and there is one recovery instead of several. Against that, the recovery from four is more uncomfortable than the recovery from one, and it is more to ask of you in a single sitting.
Upper wisdom teeth are generally more straightforward than lower ones, because the bone is softer and the nerve is not a factor. It is common to do the two on one side together so you can chew on the other.
What sedation adds
Happy gas is the least expensive option and wears off in minutes, so you can usually drive home. Oral sedation costs more and means someone else drives. IV sedation is the most expensive of the three and needs someone to take you home and stay with you.
None of it is compulsory. Plenty of wisdom teeth are removed comfortably under local anaesthetic alone. It is worth pricing both ways rather than assuming you need it or assuming you do not.
Does ACC cover it?
Usually not. ACC covers dental injury from an accident, and a wisdom tooth that is impacted, infected or crowding its neighbour is not an accident. If a wisdom tooth was broken in a fall or a knock, that is different, and we lodge the claim as part of the appointment.
The cost of leaving it
A wisdom tooth that keeps getting infected is not a stable situation, and each flare-up tends to be treated with antibiotics that buy time rather than fix anything. The more expensive outcome is when a tilted wisdom tooth decays the healthy molar in front of it, because you can end up paying to treat two teeth instead of removing one.
That is not an argument for removing every wisdom tooth. One that has come through cleanly and can be cleaned properly should be left alone.
