Tooth Extraction Cost: Prices With & Without Insurance

Pulling a tooth is priced according to how hard the tooth is to remove. A tooth that is visible above the gum and comes out with forceps is billed as a simple extraction. A tooth that is broken off, deeply rooted, or trapped under gum or bone is billed as a surgical extraction, and that category costs more.

This guide lays out prices by extraction type, what wisdom teeth removal can cost, what drives the bill up, and how to find lower-cost care. Every figure below is per tooth unless a row says otherwise. Which procedure you need is something only a licensed dentist or oral surgeon can say after an exam.

With no dental plan, you pay the office's full fee. Practices set their own prices, so the spread between offices can be wide. The table below compares simple, surgical, impacted, broken, and baby tooth extractions from several sources.

Simple extractions sit at the low end, and the more bone and tissue involved, the higher the price. Impacted teeth, meaning those that have not fully come through the gum, are priced by how much bone covers them, which is why partially and fully bony impactions appear on separate rows.

CareCredit reports average prices for each extraction category. These are single averages rather than ranges, so they are handy for a quick comparison.

The complicated single-tooth row costs well above a simple extraction. If your dentist classifies your tooth as complicated or impacted, expect a quote closer to that end of the list.

Wisdom teeth are often removed together, and many are impacted, so the price is typically higher than a single simple extraction. One source reports an average for removing four wisdom teeth.

That figure covers the extraction itself. Whether anesthesia or sedation is included in a quote varies by office, so ask for it as a separate line item.

• Simple vs. surgical. This is the biggest factor. Surgical work involves incisions or removing bone, and is priced higher.
• Impaction. Soft tissue, partial bone, and full bone impactions are priced in steps.
• Who performs it. A general dentist and an oral surgeon may charge differently for the same tooth.
• Anesthesia or sedation. Some offices bundle it, and some bill it separately.
• X-rays and exam. A pre-extraction exam and imaging are commonly billed on top of the extraction.
• Location. Fees vary by city and region.

Prices differ from one town to the next, and no national table can tell you what your local office will charge. Call two or three practices in your area and ask for the cost of the specific procedure, including the exam, X-ray, and any sedation. Ask for the quote in writing.

If you are searching for a lower-cost option near you, look at dental school clinics, community health centers, and sliding-scale or nonprofit dental clinics. Many publish their fee schedules or can quote you by phone. Appointment availability can be limited, so call early.

Many dental plans treat a simple extraction as a basic service and a surgical extraction as a major service, and plans usually pay a different share of each. You may owe a deductible and a coinsurance amount, and your annual maximum may limit what the plan pays. Waiting periods can apply to major services.

To avoid surprises, ask the dental office to submit a pre-treatment estimate to your insurer. If an oral surgeon is out of network, ask how much of the fee the plan will cover.

• Is this a simple or surgical extraction, and why?
• Does the quote include the exam, X-ray, and any sedation?
• What payment plans or financing do you offer, and at what interest rate?
• Is there a discount for paying in full or for patients without insurance?
• What would be the extra charge if the extraction turns out to be more complex than expected?