How Much Does a Tooth Extraction Cost?

What you are paying for

What goes into the cost of a tooth extraction

A tooth extraction usually costs between $150 and $500 without insurance, with about $250 typical for a routine case. The procedure fee pays for the local anesthetic, the removal itself, any stitches, the gauze and the short check afterward if one is needed. It is a brief appointment, so the cost is driven less by time than by difficulty. The items people do not expect sit around the extraction, not inside it. The exam and X-ray are often billed separately, and an urgent same-day visit may carry its own charge. Sedation is extra. If you plan to have an implant later, the dentist may recommend placing bone graft material in the socket at the same visit, which is priced as a separate procedure. And the eventual replacement tooth is a much larger expense than the extraction.

Ways the bill can come down

Ask for the estimate in writing and whether it assumes a simple or a surgical extraction, since that is where most surprises come from. Most dental plans contribute to extractions that are needed, so have the office check your benefits first. If you are comfortable with local anesthesia alone, skipping optional sedation keeps the cost down. Dental schools and community health centers remove teeth at reduced or sliding-scale fees. One caution: do not choose extraction over saving a tooth on price alone until you have also priced what replacing it would cost, and do not put off removing an infected tooth to save money. Your dentist can lay out both totals.

Table 1 — Factors that affect tooth extraction cost

Factors That Affect Tooth Extraction Cost

1. 01

   Simple or surgical

   This is the biggest single driver. A tooth lifted out whole with forceps sits at the low end. One that needs the gum opened, bone trimmed or the tooth sectioned is billed as surgical and sits toward the top.

2. 02

   Which tooth and what its roots look like

   A front tooth with one cone-shaped root comes out more readily than a molar with several spread or hooked roots. Long, curved or unusually thick roots add difficulty and cost.

3. 03

   The state of the tooth

   A tooth that has crumbled to the gum line, one that is brittle after earlier root canal treatment, or one fused to the bone gives the forceps nothing to hold, which often turns a simple case into a surgical one.

4. 04

   Sedation

   Local anesthesia is included in the fee. Laughing gas, oral sedation or intravenous sedation are added charges, and deeper sedation costs more because of the monitoring and staff it requires.

5. 05

   General dentist or oral surgeon

   Many extractions are done by a general dentist. Difficult teeth, or patients with medical conditions that need closer management, may be referred to an oral surgeon, whose fees are generally higher.

6. 06

   Extras at the same visit

   A socket bone graft, an emergency exam, or additional X-rays each add a line to the bill. Ask which of them are optional and which the dentist considers necessary for your plan.

Table 2 — Payment options

Payment Options

• Dental Insurance

  Plans usually pay part of the cost of covered procedures after a deductible, up to an annual maximum. Ask for a pre-treatment estimate.

• Payment Plans

  Many dentists offer in-house financing or work with CareCredit.

• Dental Discount Plans

  A yearly membership that gives reduced fees at participating dentists. Not insurance; check what it covers.

• Dental Schools

  Dental school clinics charge lower fees for care by supervised students. Appointments take longer.