When a bad tooth has outlived all possible treatment, the next step may be to consider tooth extraction.
In theory, teeth are supposed to last a lifetime, however, the lifespan of a tooth is made short by decay or infection. Calculating tooth extraction cost is not straightforward and it depends on many factors. The extraction process can be a simple activity or a very complex operation. The price of extraction will be affected by the current condition of the tooth or teeth. Incisors will be easier to extract than molars. Your medical history and any health conditions (chronic illnesses) that may affect the operation and the healing are also important. Based on these factors, the dentist may recommend a simple extraction, a sectoral extraction or a surgical extraction common in wisdom tooth removals. According to past studies and data from the Australian Dental Association, simple extractions can cost from $135 to as high as $295. For wisdom tooth extraction, prices start from $500 per tooth depending on the complexity of the procedure. Health insurance cover can cater for some or all of the tooth extraction costs.
Dentists recommend tooth extractions after exhausting all other preventative maintenance procedures. There are alternatives to tooth extraction depending on the level of damage to the teeth. You can choose between a cavity filling and a root canal treatment.
Just like with extraction, patient-centric conditions will determine the cost of filling a tooth. The type of teeth is crucial. The four wisdom teeth are the most difficult to fill. The number of cavities and the severity of each will impact the filling costs. Finally, the type of material used for filling will also influence the costs.Amalgam and composite materials are the most affordable tooth fillers. Gold and porcelain are the most expensive. The average filling cost is between $100 to $300. The dental association glossary rates a simple filling at $200 and a complex filling procedure at over $300.
Tooth filling rates are not standardised. Most health insurance service providers in Australia will cover the filling cost, but this may not be the case for everyone.
It is preferable to maintain a tooth rather than remove it.
Additionally, you could be having an impacted or invisible tooth. This is a situation common with wisdom teeth. As the wisdom teeth erupt, if they find no room to occupy, they can grow sideways. When it happens, it can cause pain in the jaw and discomfort in the mouth. Wisdom teeth removal helps to prevent teeth overcrowding, decays caused by congestion and gum infections.
In other cases, if a tooth is blocking other teeth from erupting, tooth extractions can solve the anomaly. Some people experience situations whereby baby teeth overstay. The result is permanent and wisdom teeth are unable to grow. The baby teeth may need to be extracted. Where a patient requires teeth straightening removal of any teeth preventing proper fitting of braces may be necessary.
The time taken to extract a tooth is typically influenced by the below factors.
Both the severity of the damage and the type of tooth determines the treatments and the procedure. Incisor teeth can be extracted by a simple single extraction which may not be possible with molars and wisdom teeth. Wisdom tooth removal may require an advanced procedure like sectional or surgical operation which are more complex and need more time.
If you have multiple cavities, the procedure takes longer and may even spread over different sessions. If you have dental cysts, the preoperative requirements will inflate the overall time for an extraction. People with historical medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, cancers, or a compromised immune system will need special care during the operations. Which as well may increase extraction times.
Some aspects of the operation may not be apparent until the extraction starts. Any eventualities like excessive bleeding or further drilling will influence the time. In general, a simple single extraction can take about 20 to 40 minutes from preoperative preparations to discharge. With sectional or surgical operations, more time is required to remove impacted wisdom teeth. Issues to do with ease of accessing the back of the mouth or breakage of gum line affects total time. Based on historical extraction data, this operation can take between 45 to 90 minutes. Before the operation consult the dentist for advice on how long the procedure may take.
Irrespective of the type of extraction the dentist indicates, prepare physically and mentally. Modern-day medical practices, tools and techniques ease tooth extraction and with as minimal discomfort or pain as possible. This mix ensures the provision of quality dental services. To prevent pain during the extraction, it's a standard requirement to give patients a local or general anaesthetic. For local anaesthesia assisted operations, the dentist or the oral surgeon may find it suitable to complement it with twilight sedation to lessen anxiety. After the operation, the sedated area will experience numbness. You will be provided with a gauze to bite on to quicken up the blood clot. As the sedation drugs abate, pain and discomfort are experienced. Patients may have swelling and tenderness of the area operated on. Use pain killers as prescribed to manage the pain. You may also use icepacks to lessen pain. Do so but no more than 10 minutes per application. Avoid strenuous physical task for at least a day and do not smoke. When sleeping, lie flat on the back and use a pillow to prop the head -that way, you avoid putting excessive pressure on neck and jaw muscles which may aggravate the pain and the discomfort.