Wisdom teeth often need to come out in the late teens or early twenties. Once a dentist says yours should come out, the next question is usually about money.
Many people in Ontario ask us if OHIP pays for it. For most people the short answer is no. OHIP pays for tooth removal only in a few cases, and those cases happen in a hospital.
The Government of Ontario lists what OHIP covers on its website. That list says OHIP does not cover dental services provided in a dentist’s office.
So a wisdom tooth taken out at a dental office, like ours, is not paid for by OHIP. The same goes for the exam and the x-ray that come before it.
Some dental surgery has to be done in a hospital. The province says this happens when the surgery is complex. It also happens when you have another health condition that needs watching during the surgery.
For those cases, OHIP covers eligible dental surgery in hospital. The province names medically necessary tooth removal as one example.
OHIP has to approve that tooth removal before it happens. Without that approval, the hospital route does not apply.
A dentist can tell you after an exam and an x-ray if your case points to a hospital. If it does not, we can talk about taking the tooth out here in our office.
Two other kinds of coverage are worth checking before your visit. One is a federal plan, and the other is the insurance you may have through work or school.
The Canadian Dental Care Plan, or CDCP, lists tooth removal among the services it covers. How much the plan pays depends on your adjusted family net income.
A dentist can charge more than the plan’s set fee. We are a registered CDCP provider, and we tell you what the plan covers, and what it does not, before you agree to anything.
Private dental plans differ from one to the next. Check your own plan before your visit.
If neither plan applies to you, ask us about the cost at your exam. That way the number does not surprise you on the day.
A wisdom tooth that has come fully through the gum usually comes out much like any other tooth. A tooth that is stuck under the gum or in the bone is called impacted, and it takes more work.
A tooth that is tilted against the tooth beside it also needs more care to remove. These details change how long the visit takes.
We have a cone beam CT scanner that takes a 3D picture of the jaw. It shows us where the roots are, and how close they come to a nerve, before we begin.
We freeze the area with local anesthetic, the same kind used for a filling. You feel pressure, not pain. If you prefer to do one side at a time, we can.
A wisdom tooth that is causing trouble rarely settles down by itself. If an infection starts around it, we may need to treat the infection before the tooth can come out.
If you are not sure how you will pay, call us before your visit. We can go over what the CDCP covers with you.
At the visit, we look at the tooth and take an x-ray or a 3D scan. Then we tell you what your case needs and what it will cost, before any work starts.
Read more about wisdom teeth removal in London, Ontario, or see what changes the price in our guide to wisdom teeth removal cost in Ontario. Call 519-472-4460 to book an exam.
We are on Aldersbrook Road and open until 7pm on Monday and Tuesday.
