Wisdom Teeth Are Very Tricky

I recently had a member call and ask me if they were required to go to a specialist to get their wisdom teeth removed. As usual my first question to them was "have you seen your regular dentist and asked them about it". They told me that they had not yet visited the regular dentist but wanted to save money on 2 visits if they were referred to a specialist.

To answer the base question, the answer is NO. Some general dentist can and will pull your wisdom teeth, if they are comfortable and equipped to do so. My advise was, and always has been, to let your general dentist make that call. Wisdom teeth are more tricky than wise. They can cause you problems or pain especially if they are coming in crooked. In some cases they grow in at an awkward angle and push on your back molars, causing pain and ultimately effecting the healthy growth of the other teeth. In most cases such as that, a specialist would likely be involved. However, if the wisdom teeth are growing in straight and with no issues, then it is possible that your general dentist, if equipped and comfortable with doing so, would be able to extract the wisdom teeth for you.

How the wisdom teeth are growing in can easily be identified through x-rays. If regular check-up and x-rays are taken then the chances of early diagnosis of how the growth pattern of the wisdom teeth is increased.

So in short, (and this applies to any procedure), always check with your general dentist first! Let them make the call to refer you to specialist or not. This, in the long run, can save you a lot of money, time and effort.

If you are a member of our dental plan, please make sure that the specialist that you are visiting is indeed in our network of specialists.

Don't just go to specialist, wait to get a referral.

While talking to customers on the phone I have noticed an interesting trend. Patients are going to a specialist to get work done without seeking a referral from their general dentist first. There is an assumption our there that if a root canal is needed that you need to go to an endodontist to get it done. Some are going to a periodontist to get routine style cleanings and others are automatically setting appointments with oral surgeons to get an extraction done.

I admire their proactiveness, but if you are doing this than you may be paying more that you may need to. A general dentist is capable of doing a lot more that people think. If you need dental work done, your first stop should be your general dentist. Let them examine you, advise you and plan your treatment with. If they feel that a specialist is necessary or the best course of action for your dental health, then let them tell you that make the referral. Then you can go the specialist to get it done.

Give the general dentist the first look. If they can do the treatment themselves then you will save a lot more money.