the Price of Emergency Dental Care

I went in my dentist’s office because my tooth was bothering me. I could not sleep and it hurt every time I chewed on something. While at the dentist he explained to me that the infection had reached the nerve of the tooth and I would either have to get a root canal to save the tooth or it could be taken out. Because the tooth was my upper back tooth I just decided to have it removed. The cost of the removing the tooth was about $350: $250 to have the tooth taken out and for the shots of local anesthetic and $100 for nitrous oxide (laughing gas). The cost was paid out of pocket with no insurance coverage. Tax was included.

The removal of my tooth was a lot better than I though it was going to be. I paid for laughing gas, which helped calm me down throughout the procedure. After I felt like the gas was working the dentist gave me shots to numb up the area around the tooth to be removed. All I felt was a lot of pressure and rocking back and fourth and the tooth came out easily. After the procedure, I was given instructions on how to care for the place where the tooth was removed. I was a little sore the next few days by was given pain medication which I only needed for 3 or 4 days. Overall I was very satisfied with the service provided.

Make sure your dentist explains all your treatment options. I could have gotten a root canal on the tooth I had removed but it was a lot more expensive and because the tooth was in the back it did not seem worth it to me. But it was nice to know I could have had a root canal done to save the tooth.

I would recommend getting laughing gas if you are very nervous. The dentist is able to turn it up or down if you ask them to and it really helps take the edge off. If you feel like you need to be in complete control of yourself ALL the time laughing gas may not be for you.

I also recommend going to someone you trust. Having your tooth taken out is a serious procedure and you don’t want someone you don’t trust doing it.