View Full Version : Wisdom Teeth
Please let me know your opinions on whether the oral surgeons are upselling me or not.
The dentist (who my family has been using for three generations now and who is very honest) said my kid should have his two bottom wisdom teeth removed and referred us to an oral surgeon. I looked online before going in and got ballpark prices for this type of surgery that would lead me to believe it would cost around $1000 for two teeth, more with fancy anesthesia vs. just Novocaine.
The oral surgeon said all four wisdom teeth should be pulled and the cost is $2950 which includes $350 for being knocked out. My son won't consider just Novocaine. There is a caveat in the "treatment plan" that if there are complications I would have to pay an unspecified additional amount of money. I also had to pay $100 for the consultation although I brought the necessary x-rays from the dentist. Surgery will take approximately a half hour and be done at the oral surgeon's office, not in a hospital.
I don't have insurance and they won't give me a cash discount. The referring dentist doesn't work Fridays, but I do plan to call him on Monday to discuss and see if there is anyone else he can refer me to for a second opinion. I submitted an online inquiry for referrals from a national oral surgeon database last night, but no response on that yet.
I had all four of my wisdom teeth pulled at once with Novocaine only when a couple years older than my son is now, though I hadn't experienced any problem with the teeth. I have no contact with my ex and don't know the dental history of that side of the family.
We are in the Northeast but not in a major metropolitan area.
What do you think?
Called another place 45 minutes away - they are $75 less per tooth but with a $105 consultation fee - and I know it will be (bad pun) like pulling teeth to get my kid to go for another consult. So the big question for me is do the upper teeth really need to be pulled? Anyone gone through this?
sweetana3
2-11-11, 12:01pm
It all depends on the tooth and structure. I had one sort of pulled by the Army dentists and they had to break it up to get it out. Novocain did not work on that particular nerve and I did not visit a dentist for over 10 years after that. I think the dentist was to blame.
The other three came out without any problem in the dentists office with only local novocaine. In fact, it was so easy that I did not realize they were out until he showed them to me. Boy was I smiling when I got out of the office. So a lot depends on the mouth's structure.
Whatever, pain meds are critical and I needed Darvocet (the good stuff) for about 2 days. I have a high pain tolerance but the nerves are really stressed when teeth are pulled.
treehugger
2-11-11, 12:18pm
I had all 4 of mine pulled when I was 15 (and I had nothing to do with the payment negotiations, so I can't speak to that) and I am very thankful I was put under. All 4 were impacted (completely under the gumline) and had to be cracked into little pieces to be removed. I cannot imagine having that done with Novocaine only. Obviously, much depends on your son's individual anatomy and situation.
I think it's a great idea to wait to talk to the dentist that you trust and really listen to his opinion. Make sure you ask about future consequences of not removing all 4 teeth. Some people never need them pulled, some people's mouths simply don't have room for them to come in.
Good luck with your decision.
I was supposed to have all 4 of mine removed as a young adult. There was no pain at all at the time, and at the last minute I chickened out and didn't have it done. No significant problems since, though a few years (5?) ago one did break in half and I had to have that removed. It cost about $500 including x-ray and novocaine at the oral surgeons. They did give me a prescription for drugs, but I only needed advil for a day or so. My teeth tend not to be very sensitive.
Another good luck with your decision.
DS1 had his wisdom teeth removed while he was in college. Oral surgeon knocked him out; he was sick for several days and couldn't work. Don't remember the cost as we had the best insurance money could buy. DS3 (32 years old) had a wisdom tooth removed at the dentist 3 days ago; he's still miserable but went to work today. Not sure how much it cost as DS3 had insurance.
I am a former Dental Assistant. Yes you definitely want ALL 4 wisdom teeth removed. The problem when you only remove (for example) the lower wisdom teeth is that when the upper ones come in they will not have any matching teeth in the lower jaw to bite against. This can lead to problems later.
How old is your son? Have the wisdom teeth actually broken through the gums or are they still under the gums? The younger your son is when he has this surgery, the easier the extraction will go and the faster he will heal from the surgery. Your prices don't seem out of line for an oral surgeon. If your dentist referred you to an oral surgeon it is probably because he suspects this will not be a simple extraction. Have you had an opportunity to see the x-rays? Sometimes wisdom teeth will grow "sideways" which is why an oral surgeon will be recommended to extract them. Usually you can see this quite clearly in an x-ray.
If you can manage to afford it, I would recommend you get the teeth extracted. Wisdom teeth are actually considered non-essential dentition (they are "extra" teeth that we don't actually need). Many people who don't have them extracted when they are in their late teens end up with problems later in life. If your son is very anxious about the surgery, sometimes Dentists will prescribe Halcion to take before the surgery. This will relax him and he probably won't even remember going to the surgeon for the extracton.
Good luck. If you proceed with the extractions, make sure you have ice packs (or a bag of frozen peas), small gauze pads, smooth ice cream and cold drinks and soups for your son while he recovers. DON'T let him drink with a straw for at least 24 hours after the surgery as this can cause a painful condition called dry socket. Also, nothing hot for the first 24 hours.
I had the "coming in sideways" problem. I have always wondered if having them out earlier might have helped me avoid needing orthodontia -- my teeth were already crowded, but maybe if they had experienced less pressure from the wisdom teeth over the years I could have avoided braces or had a less complicated treatment plan. Unless you really would struggle to pay for this, I would get them all taken out at once. Consider it a gift to your son for the future, since as the dental person above says not doing them all at the same time can lead to complications (and further $$$$ spent) in later years.
I would continue to get price quotes. You may be able to get a better deal elsewhere.
lhamo
Thank you everyone for your input, and Hattie for a professional's perspective. It will be a struggle but I can just about cover this IF there are no complications - I think I will ask if they can start with the bottom ones so if there are complications they can stop there and do the top ones later after I have a chance to save up some more money. The teeth haven't broken out and they aren't coming in crooked that I can see from the x-ray. Mine were like this and the dentist pulled them out himself - in those days things weren't so overspecialized and overpriced. I e-mailed the oral surgeon asking if they match competitor's prices this morning - it's now evening in my time zone and no response. I think the answer is probably no - they built a new much bigger facility than they need and have filled it with very expensive furniture. Years ago I went to them for TMJ when they had hard plastic chairs and affordable prices - wish it was still like that, but new doctors own the practice now :(
San Onofre Guy
2-11-11, 7:38pm
You don't need all four teeth removed. My dentist age 49 just had his lower wisdom teeth pulled. I was surprised when he told me that he had it done. He said that they had not been a problem until now and unless they are a problem they should be left alone he said.
I had all four pulled in college, just before I got too old to be on my parent's dental plan. Did not have to be knocked out. I got conscious sedation. I was conscious, felt no pain, but really could care less that the dentist was pulling my teeth. Very relaxed with headphones and music :).
You don't need all four teeth removed. My dentist age 49 just had his lower wisdom teeth pulled. I was surprised when he told me that he had it done. He said that they had not been a problem until now and unless they are a problem they should be left alone he said.
If a dentist recommends someone goes to an oral surgeon to have teeth extracted there is a reason. Professionals don't refer out for extraction surgery on a whim. The family dentist won't benefit at all from surgery done by an oral surgeon.
I had a lower wisdom tooth extracted when I was in my 20s. The roots had wrapped around and through the jaw bone. Reguired breaking of the jaw bone. I was awake. I watched the blood splatter on the dentist's glasses. I earned a reputation in that office for my toughness. That took over an hour. Novacaine had to be renewed half-way through. A week later I had the 2 top teeth removed. Took 10 minutes. The lower left tooth is still in place, I'm 54 y.o., and no problems with that one. Probably because I lost a tooth down the row as a teen and there was room for the wisdom tooth to push the others down to make room.
If you have a university within traveling distance that has a dental school I urge you strongly to go visit. You'll get quality work done for an amazingly low price.
In Maryland, a dentist cannot remove teeth. Only an oral surgeon can. So referring to an oral surgeon is not an indicator of problems.
I have never heard of a licensed dentist who is not permitted to extract teeth. Having said that, I am not familiar with the regulations in Maryland.
Some complications that could arise from wisdom teeth being left in place: gum infection, damage to surrounding teeth, cysts, dental caries.
If the opposing wisdom teeth are not removed, a condition called supraeruption may occur. This means that the remaining teeth, because they have no opposing teeth to contact with, may continue to grow out of the gum.
The older a patient is when the extracton(s) occurs the greater the chances of complications and the longer the recovery period will be. If a dentist determines that some of the wisdom teeth need to be extracted it is usually more economical and prudent to have all of the wisdom teeth extracted together. One benefit is that the patient will have only one period of healing.
It is always up to the patient to make the ultimate decision for any dental procedure. I am merely trying to explain some of the reasonings for the recommendation of wisdom tooth extraction.
DD is having hers out at the Dental school, which is three hours away from us. Cost - all four done by an oral surgery student -which is post, post grad, with anasthesia - $760.00. There are a lot of time issues involved, staying overnight in the city, etc, etc but I have only heard positive things about others having this experience...
janharker
2-14-11, 12:55pm
I used to go to the dental school at Ohio State. I was unemployed and without insurance. I was able to pay in cash without cringing from the cost. I was able to get extra treatment at no cost because I had a unique situation and presented an opportunity for teaching.
DD is having hers out at the Dental school, which is three hours away from us. Cost - all four done by an oral surgery student -which is post, post grad, with anasthesia - $760.00. There are a lot of time issues involved, staying overnight in the city, etc, etc but I have only heard positive things about others having this experience...
Yes this can be a very cost effective way to have them removed. Because the students are supervised so carefully it is highly unlikely any mistakes will be made. It is a good way to go!! As you mention, the only down side is the time involved. Students work much slower than experienced dentists.
I spoke to the dentist today who said there are pros and cons to removing all four wisdom teeth, but that it is not necessary to remove the top two (unlike the bottom two, they are not nearing a nerve) and the trend nowadays is to NOT do unnecessary surgery. I am checking into a government program that would pay a part of the cost - but it is a long process and I may not get an answer/to schedule the surgery in time - dentist thought DS had a couple months only before he would be in pain. I hadn't thought of dental schools - will research that. Thank you.
rosarugosa
2-14-11, 5:00pm
Yppej,
If you could wait until 2012 to do the top teeth and your employer offers a Flexible Spending Account, that would be one way to get the treatment "discounted" by the tax savings. From what you said about him facing pain in a few months, it sounds like the bottom ones shouldn't wait.
Tufts has a student dental clinic in Boston, but I'm guessing that might be a bit too far away.
I would keep your son in the loop on this also...He may prefer to wait a bit until you have the funds to get them all out at one time. I know I had the option of having one out at a time or one side at a time but I knew I could only handle an 'All At Once' option.
He definitely wants them all out at once - the oral surgeon's sales pitch worked well on him. There are three dental schools in my state - BU (no answer), Harvard (left voice mail), Tufts (got message they were already closed for the day). I'll keep trying.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.