Wisdom teeth extraction (dont have enough money)

Question

I'm 16.

i have impacted wisdom teeth, and the bottom 2 are facing up diagonal towards my nose, the top ones I'm not sure...

well, i dont know the costs, but my mom says we cant afford it, (oh yeah, i need all 4 pulled)

so she wants to take me to mexico to do it...

so my questions are:

is it safe?

should i risk it?

and what are the costs? (an estimate would be fine...)

Answer 1

There's really no point in getting them removed if they don't hurt, and that's what I've heard from many dentists over the years.  To get all four of my impacted wisdom teeth removed, it took a little over a thousand dollars.  You can knock off a hundred bucks for not getting anesthesia, which isn't necessary if hearing the surgery doesn't bother you.  I don't know about Mexico, but if you check with a dental college, they'll often do dental work for a severely reduced price for people in your predicament and possibly even free, depending on the college and circumstances.  But really, if there's no pain, there's no need to worry, and maybe keep some money aside if it ever does, and check with dental institutions for reduced price offers.

Answer 2

Unless they are erupting (breaking through the gum) you can wait without a problem. It tends to be a little easier when you are younger, if you were 40 and hadn't had any problems I'd just say don't worry about it. Some people's wisdom teeth eventually come in, and they are fine.

When I was in the military we took out lots of wisdom teeth, most of the people were 18 - 30. Average age was about 22. So just wait until you are older.

Now if they are causing problems that is a different story. Usually this happens if they are erupting and not coming out straight. They break through the gum, but are tilted, and there is no room for them to fully emerge. The flap of gum gets food stuck down in it, an infection starts and then there is pain. It is not impossible to keep clean, but it is hard and would take a lot of care.

The possibility of this happening is one reason dr's want to remove the wisdom teeth, once the infection sets in it hurts more to have them taken out.  Another is that even if they do come in ok, some people have a hard time cleaning them since they are so much further back in your mouth.

To be honest, 16 seems a little young to have them taken out. If one starts coming through, be very conscious of keeping it clean. If it doesn't seem to be coming in like it ought to and  stops, then look into getting it pulled BEFORE there is pain.

You may want to see if there is a dental school near you. They usually have very reduced rates.  

Answer 3

i live in san diego and i have my whole life so just from experience ive learned mexico is NOT the best place to get work done. yes, it is cheap, yes, it will be fast, and yes you are running several risks. the reason it is so cheap in mexico is because they do not always have the right tools and supplies and are educated in the correct way to help you. of course there are exceptions but i would suggest you dont go there. my neighbor had plastic surgery done there and it came out terrible so as you can see it ranges on how awful the prodecues are. i would suggest you just save. i do not have dental insurance so i can relate to the money situation you are in. it cost me about $2000 to get all 4 of my impacted teeth removed. you should try to save. good luck.