Wisdom teeth can cause various dental problems, such as tooth and gum infection, pain and sensitivity, and jaw misalignment. However, if you don’t have dental insurance, then getting your wisdom teeth removed by an oral surgeon at a dental clinic might be difficult.
In this guide from Flossy, we’ll discuss all of your options for getting your wisdom teeth removed and other dental work done with no insurance.
On average, adults have 32 permanent teeth, which develop in late adolescence. However, between the ages of 17 and 21, some people may develop wisdom teeth in the corner of the jaw. Some individuals develop four wisdom teeth, while others develop only one or two.
Although wisdom teeth were once essential for early humans — whose diets consisted primarily of raw meat and plants — modern food preparation techniques have made wisdom teeth largely unnecessary.
In some cases, wisdom teeth can even be problematic. On average, human jaws — as an adaptation to the modern diet — have gotten smaller. As such, not all jaws are able to accommodate the extra teeth that erupt in early adulthood. For this reason, many individuals choose to remove their wisdom teeth.
The main reason to get wisdom teeth removed is that they are at a significantly higher risk of getting infected than the other teeth in your jaw. Because they are located in the corners of the jaw, they are much harder to clean. As a result, wisdom teeth experience a much higher accumulation of bacteria and increase the risk of tooth decay.
In some cases, certain individuals may have jaws that are too small to accommodate the extra teeth. As such, wisdom teeth that emerge in adulthood may become trapped in the jaw, which is referred to as impacted wisdom teeth. This condition also increases the chances of infection, in addition to gum inflammation, jaw misalignment, and tooth pain.
A tooth infection can have serious consequences for your dental health and your overall health. In order to prevent their chances of getting an infection, some individuals may choose to remove their wisdom teeth.
Most dental insurance plans cover wisdom tooth extraction if it is considered medically necessary. But what do you do if you do not have dental insurance? In many cases, you will have to pay for the procedure out-of-pocket.
The average cost of wisdom teeth removal varies depending on the type that you need. There are broadly two types of wisdom tooth extraction: simple and surgical. A simple wisdom tooth extraction is easy to perform and is quite similar to regular tooth extraction. Simple extraction should cost approximately $100 dollars per tooth. It involves local anesthesia rather than general anesthesia.
However, if you have an impacted wisdom tooth, then you will need to remove it using a surgical procedure. This procedure is more complex than a simple wisdom tooth extraction. For this reason, it may cost up to $400 dollars per tooth. If you need to remove several wisdom teeth, then you can be looking at a bill that’s thousands of dollars high. In addition, this procedure often involves full sedation, adding to the wisdom tooth extraction cost.
Almost 9% of U.S. adults do not have any form of health insurance. What’s more, even those who a policy with an insurance company may not have any dental benefits. As such, these individuals have to find ways to get dentistry services like oral surgery without insurance.
If you’re looking to get your wisdom teeth removed with no insurance, then the news isn’t all bad. There are plenty of options for you to get low-cost dental services that can make getting the procedure a reality. Here are five options for getting low-cost wisdom teeth removal at a dental office in your area.
If you are considered a low-income patient, then you may be eligible for low-cost dental procedures and other forms of healthcare made available through various government programs. You can look through options made available through your city or state’s health departments.
In addition, you can look through the federal programs made available through programs such as Medicaid. These services may have no additional cost or a small fee.
If you do not qualify for financial assistance, then you may get dental services at a significant discount by going to a dental school. If you volunteer to be treated by dental students, then you can get professional dental services at a discount that’s as high as 50%.
If you are worried about getting dental services that are of a lower quality, you can rest assured knowing that dental students receive ample training before they are allowed to treat patients. In addition, they are supervised by licensed dentists throughout the entire procedure. As such, the risks of any complications are very minimal.
If you want to receive free or low-cost dental services while contributing to dental research, then participating in a clinical trial might be right for you. The National Institutes of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) conducts frequent clinical trials under the supervision of licensed dentists.
One caveat is that you will have to wait for the organization to run trials on surgical extraction of wisdom teeth under IV sedation or with local anesthetic. As such, it is the best option only for those who are not experiencing a medical emergency and are choosing to have their wisdom teeth removed as an elective procedure rather than due to urgent oral health concerns.
Many dental providers offer you the option to pay for your wisdom tooth extraction procedure over time. In some cases, you may be able to take out a line of credit in order to pay for the procedure.
However, in other cases, you may be able to enroll in a simple payment plan that allows you to pay off the procedure for a period as long as 12 months. Before you get discouraged about not being able to pay, check with your dentist’s office about their financing options.
For many people, wisdom teeth can prove to be more problematic than beneficial. Whether you’re experiencing a wisdom tooth infection or want to take measures to prevent it, a wisdom tooth extraction can be the next step toward your best dental health.
If you don’t have insurance to pay for wisdom teeth removal, then you have a variety of low-cost options. Federal programs, dental schools, clinical trials, and financing can all help you to afford a wisdom teeth extraction.
Sources:
Before Agriculture, Human Jaws Were a Perfect Fit for Human Teeth | Smithsonian Magazine
Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2020 | Census
