Molar Extraction and Cost

Although there are permanent teeth that are meant to be last forever, at times, you may have to extract them because of underlying reasons. A tooth will be removed if it is too badly damaged due to decay, trauma, and other reasons. A crowded mouth may need the pulling out of some of the teeth in order to prepare the mouth for the procedure of orthodontia or aligning them properly. Infections like tooth decay may cause damage to the teeth thus needing it to be pulled out.

People with compromised immune system may be at risk of infection, something that might necessitate the removal of some teeth. For example if one is receiving chemotherapy or an organ transplant, there could be risk of tooth infection. Of the teeth to be removed, the wisdom teeth are the most difficult and costly to extract.

Molars are grouped into three sets. The first molars are regarded as the six-year molars because this is the age at which the permanent molars erupt. The other set is the second molars also known as 12-year molars because the permanent ones erupt around that age. The third molars are the wisdom teeth and the final molars to erupt. They will come out at around the age of 17 to 21 years and they are regarded as wisdom because they come out when one is old enough.

The removal of wisdom or third molars may be done if they are impacted. The impacted wisdom could be very painful and could lead to various dental problems. The only way you can know if your wisdom teeth could lead to problems is by seeing a dentist to examine them properly. If you  are over the age of 21 years, and when you look at the mirror, you cannot see all the three molars on sides of your jaws, then it could imply the wisdom teeth are impacted.

Should third molars or wisdom teeth be removed or not?

Some people will only have partially erupted third molars while in other people, the teeth will remain completely buried under mouth tissue. There has been a controversy on whether people should have their 3^rd molar or wisdom teeth removed even when there is no risk of infection or damage.

There is some crucial evidence which shows that jaws are getting smaller as man evolves, but the size of teeth haven’t changed much. Therefore, many people do not have sufficient room in their mouth to accommodate the third molars. Over the previous half million years, mankind has evolved without the need of having the third molars removed. But with the development of anesthesia, that is when dentists began routinely removing the 3^rd molars.

If you are 35 years old but you have not seen these teeth erupt in your mouth, you can leave them alone though you need to have them examined through x rays in every few years. At times, when the third molars are left unextracted, they may create some dental problems. All the teeth grow in tissue sacs that are known as follicles.

From time to time, the sacs could enlarge and become a cyst that is filled with fluid. This could result to loss of some part of your jaw bone. When a large chunk of bone is lost, it means that one could have a weakened jaw that may fracture easily. The presence of a cyst might put pressure on nerves of jaw.

Similarly, when the third molars lay on their sides, they might cause the bone surrounding their roots as well as the roots of the adjoining teeth to be eaten away. Besides, the teeth could lead to future infection and needs to be removed. It could be dangerous for the elderly patients who have other medical problems to undergo the oral surgery to remove the third molars that have complications.

Why an impacted molar tooth needs to be removed

When a tooth does not come out through gum tissue, and remains covered in tissue or by bone, this is regarded as being impacted. In order to extra such tooth, it means the tissue needs to be opened and at times bone may be removed so as to reach the tooth. To keep the hole small, the teeth may have to be cut into small pieces.

After the extraction, a patient will experience some swelling and pain though the pain will range from moderate to severe. Use of pain killers may be recommended if the pain is intense.

The cost of removing molar teeth

Although the cost of extracting wisdom or third molar teeth may vary from one area to another and from one dentist to another, it often ranges from $75 to $200 for the simple extraction. However, if the tooth is impacted, the cost is higher and will range from about $225 to $600.

To pull out four impacted wisdom teeth during one appointment, it may cost you between $1000 to $3000 or even more, depending on where you are having the teeth removed, the dentist or surgeon, and the location. There are a number of factors that will affect the cost of extracting wisdom teeth, and they include the experience of a dentist, the type of dental insurance cover you have, the location of dentist, and the extent of the removal procedure.