How much does wisdom teeth removal cost?

What's involved in removing wisdom teeth?

Getting your wisdom teeth out is essentially just like any other tooth extraction, but it can be a bit more urgent. Wisdom teeth often grow in weird directions, which can cause issues with the other teeth in your mouth.

You'll typically be advised to remove your wisdom teeth only if they're becoming a problem. Generally they'll come out 2 or 4 at a time, though not always.

Surgical vs non-surgical wisdom teeth removal

How hard it is to extract your wisdom teeth is the biggest factor in the cost of wisdom teeth removal. Your extraction will either be surgical or non surgical.

• Non-surgical extraction is easier, cheaper and faster. If your wisdom teeth have come up straight, the dentist may be able to get at them directly. These extractions are quick, only require local aesthetic, have fewer risks and are cheaper. They'll generally be covered under 'general dental' in your extras insurance after a 2-month waiting period.
• Surgical extraction is where your dentist needs to cut into your gums to get at your teeth. Unfortunately, surgical extraction is quite common for wisdom teeth, as they often grow in at a weird angle, pushing in to other teeth. Surgical extraction is more expensive and may require heavier anaesthetic. Your extras cover may class this as either 'general dental' or 'major dental', but either will probably come with a 12-month waiting period.

Getting 2 wisdom teeth out for cheap

"My wisdom teeth were okay all through my twenties, but had to come out shortly after. They had come in fairly straight, so removal was quick and easy - my dentist took one out during a general checkup, then another a week later. All up I think it was about $600, and my extras policy covered about half."

Rebecca Pike

Senior writer

How much does wisdom teeth removal cost?

Wisdom teeth removal costs can vary a lot, but will generally run between $200 and $600 per tooth. Surgical extractions are more expensive, while simple extractions are cheaper.

The table below breaks down the median cost of tooth extractions collected by the Australian Dental Association in it's 2022 report. This is going to be the best estimate for the cost of wisdom teeth removal you're likely to find, but the costs will almost certainly vary depending on where you go.

Does Medicare pay for wisdom teeth removal?

Unfortunately, Medicare doesn't pay for any dental treatment in Australia, which includes removing wisdom teeth. It's a point of contention. That means the cost of wisdom teeth removal will come out of your own pocket, or will need to be covered by private health insurance.

There are some state-based schemes for children and concession card holders. However, with most people getting their wisdom teeth out in their 20s, state schemes aren't that useful in this case.

Hospital vs extras health insurance for wisdom teeth

Depending on your circumstances, you'll have your wisdom teeth taken out either in a dentist's chair or a hospital. For the former, only extras insurance will be involved, but going into hospital will mean you'll need hospital cover too.

Extras cover for wisdom teeth removal

Wisdom tooth extractions completed in the chair can be covered by extras cover. This is known as outpatient treatment and is the most common way folks have their wisdom teeth out.

Non-surgical tooth extractions are generally covered under 'general dental' treatment category, which is available on even basic extras policies. There's normally a 2-month waiting period.

Surgical tooth extractions are often covered in the 'major dental' treatment category, which will typically have a 12-month waiting period. Many funds still cover these under 'general dental', but will have a special 12-month waiting period for surgical removal in particular.

You can pick up policies that cover general dental from as little as $5 a week. However, to get a policy that will cover a respectable amount of the cost of wisdom teeth removal, you'll probably need to pay closer to $10 to $15 a week.

Hospital cover for wisdom teeth removal

If your procedure is done as an in-patient in a private hospital, you'll need private hospital cover to avoid large out-of-pocket expenses. Specifically, this can help cover the cost of hospital accommodation, theatre fees and anaesthesia costs, which can only be covered by a hospital policy.

Note that there may still be some out-of-pocket costs for your surgery, as well as any excess you need to pay on your policy. You'll need to call your health fund to get a better estimate of what they will and won't cover.

The 'dental surgery' treatment category will need to be included on your policy, which is available in all silver-tier hospital policies. These start from around $115 per month. Note that you'll probably still need an extras policy to cover the cost of the surgery itself, as this can't be covered by private hospital insurance.

What affects the cost of wisdom tooth extraction?

How much you'll pay for wisdom teeth removal will depend on the:

• Procedure. More serious extractions require surgery in hospital – that's likely to be far more expensive than being treated at the dentist.
• Dentist. Ask your dentist how much they plan to charge. There are no limits on how much a dentist can charge, only guidelines issued by the Australian Dental Association.
• Specialist. Some complex cases require an oral surgery specialist which will cost you more.
• Insurance. The level of hospital or extras cover you have can have a big impact on how much you pay for treatment.
• Location. It's often cheaper to get wisdom teeth removed in major cities than it is in rural areas.

Frequently asked questions

• How much is wisdom tooth removal in Australia?

  Wisdom tooth removal costs between $200 and $600 per tooth, assuming you have no private health insurance. There is a huge variation in price because the complexity of the procedure can vary significantly from a simple extraction at the dentist to more complex surgery in hospital.

• Is wisdom tooth removal covered under Medicare?

  Wisdom tooth removal is not covered by Medicare, the Australian public health care system. Children or concession card holders might be able to access free or reduced cost care through some state schemes.

• Does private health insurance cover wisdom teeth removal?

  Yes, private health insurance can cover wisdom tooth removal. An extras policy can cover you under general or major dental for out of hospital treatment. If you need to be treated as an inpatient you'll also need a silver-tier hospital policy.

• How long does it take to recover from wisdom teeth removal?

  Recovery time depends on the complexity of the extraction, but you'll generally find that most take 4 to 7 days to recover from – or in some cases up to 2 weeks – according to several dental sources such as Prevent Dental Suite, Core Dental and No Gaps Dental.

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Tim Bennett as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Gary Ross Hunter

Editor, Insurance

Gary Ross Hunter was an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio

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