I have just had the pleasure of breaking a huge chunk out of one of my impacted wisdom teeth. I went to the dentist who said it can only be removed under a general. He referred me to a surgeon who said it will cost me around $3,000 to have it removed. That’s actually for two teeth but the price for one was about $2,700.
Having never had a tooth removed under a general I have no idea if this is excessive or not. I know that a general costs a lot of money but I was expecting $3,000.
My question is, does this sound unreasonable?
Does anyone know of a cheaper dental surgeon in Canberra who can offer a general? Or if you have had to endure the same can you recommend one.
Yeah sounds about right if you go to the Dental Surgi-Centre in Braddon. I had 3 wisdom teeth removed there under a general and it cost about the same (private health yay). I heard there is a dude in Woden who does them cheaper though I can’t remember the name. Check out the Yellow Pages for dental surgeons in Woden.
It sounds about right, though Mr Vane’s was done under ‘twilight sedation’, not a general anaesthetic. He had three impacted wisdom teeth and a broken molar removed and it cost about that price all up. This was through the Canberra Surgicentre in Braddon.
Go to Thailand.
I know several people who’ve done so (for a variety of procedures) and who can’t recommend it highly enough. Much cheaper than here, good quality work, and a holiday to boot.
Unfortunately I don’t now the name of the clinics that they went to – but each person found theirs using Google and then by asking the clinics questions via email about cost, quality of service, including the clinic’s track record re: post-op complications and infections, etc. It’s shopping around just like you would do here.
Apparently Thai dental work is often less than half the price of here including travel costs. Coincidentally I saw a newspaper article about ‘dental holidays’ last week – but I can’t remember where.
As for Canberra dentists, I can’t help you. I’ve never been to one here. Rather phobic. Won’t go unless I’m in excruciating pain or something falls out and the dentist offers drugs to make me better.
I had mine done about 8 years ago (all four) and I didn’t need a general – just a sedative and a local. It was brilliant! I didn’t even know they were doing anything until it was all over. I’m pretty sure it was a hell of a lot cheaper than $3k too. I wont be back in Canberra for at least another week, so I can’t look through my records to tell you who it was, but the surgeon was located just near Woden hospital across from the blood bank.
Good luck!
Our daughter’s wisdom teeth (4) were removed by Dr Carmello Bonnano in Woden. Job well done and, because it was done with an anaesthetist in his surgery rather than the hospital, cost about $1000 less than another Dr. quoted. to do the same job but in a hospital surgery room. From memory it cost about $1,800 all up. You only get a couple of hundred dollars back on Medicare for the anaesthetist
I would second the Thailand suggestion. I went there a few years ago and had various dental treatments, that would have been very expensive in Australia including a root canal. I can’t exactly remember the name of the place but I think it was this one:
http://www.bangkokdentalcenter.com/thailand_dentist/fees.htm
The staff were very professional, skilled, they spoke english well and generally did a first class job. I did not actually fly there just for a ‘dental holiday’ though, I was transiting in Bangkok anyway on a flight to Australia from Europe.
I just got all four of my wisdom teeth out (using a general) by a surgeon in Deakin who was great.
It cost $1560 for the surgeon and $435 for the anaesthetist. (I got back $500 from my health fund and $190 back from medicare for the anaesthetist). Though my health insurance covered the hospital, so I don’t know how much that would add to the cost if you don’t have insurance.
That’s hell expensive. I had four teeth removed and a wisdon tooth for under $1500 at the Canberra Surgicentre.
I had thought about the Thailand option though it’s not possible now. I can’t get the leave from work and it has to come out ASAP.
The Surgicentre in Braddon is where I was quoted the $3k
paservank, unfortunately it has to be done under a general. I have a high pain threshold and would be happy for a local but that is not an option apparently.
sporko said :
Same goes for me. Although I had 5 taken out – 4 wisdom and one that was causing overcrowding in the back. It still cost quite a bit even with Private cover.
I’ve had a dead/decayed tooth removed under local and the experience was painless, except it was just very unnerving to have the dentist pulling at it for 15 min or so.
My partner had her wisdoms removed under local and diddn’t feel any pain from the removing- just make sure they inject you plenty of times. The problem with local is that she could still feel her lips and it made the job harder for the dentist to get in there and hurt from having her mouth stretched at the edge of the mouth- something I only had to deal with post removal. Also she found the sound of the saw/drills unnerving and super loud.
I was definitely happy with the care that the braddon centre provided though, but it’s still a helluva lota moula.
Join the military.
If your teeth are impacted they may not be able to use sedation, you might have to have a GA. There was a thing on telly last week about a new clinic opened up somewhere doing head and neck stuff, the director there Dr Hyam is great with wisdom teeth. Apparently they do stuff there that frees up the hospital beds. Don’t know if that helps you. That Dr does work at other hospitals as well.
Snarky said :
I concur. I had a single wisdom tooth removed by Dr Bannano under local anaesthetic only a few weeks ago and it only cost me a couple hundred dollars – good price and good service.
Snarky said :
Im going there in Jan to get 4 wisdom teeth removed, charging me $1200, seems like a nice guy and he told me i wont remember a thing
shiny flu said :
Agree with #3 and #6 re the Thailand option.
Not from personal experience but from blokes I know.
Takes a couple of weeks apparently – and they don’t take the missus.
Must be good though – they often go back for more dental work.
I’d hasten to warn people before you go jumping on a plane to Thailand (or any other country) for medical treatment. ‘Medical tourism’ as it has been termed, is a growing business but doesn’t always pay off.
There are many issues to carefully consider before going down that route. Insurance, professional follow up, botched procedures, legal issues, post-op support, air travel after undergoing a GA procedure? The range of medical and dental services available may look cheap and impressive but standards can be lacking, resulting in serious and possibly life-threatening complications. Please, its not all about money – it could be your life.
Buzz2600 said :
You take a risk, you get it heaps cheaper.
I’d also throw some support behind Dr Bonnano. I got 4 wisdom teeth out in his surgery a couple of years ago and actually had to call him back after my initial enquiry because I thought I misheard the quoted price. From memory it was just under $1k including GA.
Also, and I don’t know if this is due to his expertise or my amazing healing powers, but I was happily eating solid food the next day, something I’m not sure everyone experiences after these procedures.
Be prepared to wake up to the sound of guitar noodling coming from one of the offices…
Dr Carmelo Bonanno did my impacted wisdom tooth and pulled a few other teeth out too. $800 or thereabouts it was for him to do this under twilight sedation. I don’t remember a thing. Awesome.
Dr Carmelo Bonanno
Suite 1, Gadal Chambers 48 Corinna St
Woden ACT 2606
6282 7633
I also had some work done by Dr Carmelo of Corinna Street Woden. They were impacted teeth roots left behind after I had the majority of tooth was taken out by a public service that did not have the tools or expertise to remove the roots. They had in fairness advised me of that before they removed my tooth.
The roots were removed under general and the job was pretty good. There was a little pain, because it was a difficult extraction, but the good doctor was extreemly considerate about that and thanked me for explaining that I had a big phobia of pain. His bedside manner was excellent. The after care was great.
I could not reccomend him higher.
The surgi-centre are monopolists. And likely over-servicers.
I was quoted $2500 to remove 2 molars earlier this year; $1000 fee, $1000 theatre, $500 anaesthesia.
Picked up Yellow Pages. Went to DR MIKE WALSH, Shell Harbour.
Done in the chair in a few minutes with no anaesthesia for $780.
Thank-you and good night!
I can personally recommend http://www.asavanant.com if you are going to go to Bangkok. They are very, very professional, state of the art and willing to cater to you. This was the first dentist I have actually fallen asleep in the chair at (without drugs).
I had some work done with them, and then had two dentists in the UK comment on what a great job they were.