The answer comes down to one thing: whether the tooth is being removed because it is causing a problem, or removed on request while it is still healthy.
- Extraction for a dental condition is covered by health insurance, while extraction on request, when the tooth is causing no problem, is not.
- Teeth with extensive decay, infection, mobility from periodontal disease or a retained root causing inflammation all fall under extraction for a condition.
- A wisdom tooth that is angled and causes pain, swelling or repeated pericoronitis is usually covered; an upright wisdom tooth causing no trouble is not.
- Patients with underlying conditions who come to Ky Hoa Dental have their blood pressure taken, tests done when needed, and a joint consultation with an internal medicine doctor in the same centre.
Tooth extraction is one of the most common dental procedures, and also the one people ask about most when it comes to health insurance (BHYT). The answer is not a blanket yes or no; it depends on the reason for the extraction.
Extraction for a dental condition: within the covered scope
When a tooth has to come out because of a condition - decay too extensive to save the tooth, infection, mobility caused by periodontal disease, a retained root causing inflammation, or a wisdom tooth erupting at an angle and causing complications - the extraction is a treatment indication. In these cases it usually falls within the covered scope of health insurance, at the benefit level recorded on your card.
Extraction on request: outside the covered scope
If you want a healthy tooth removed while it is causing no problem at all (for personal or cosmetic reasons, for example), the procedure sits outside insurance and you pay for it yourself.
What about wisdom teeth?
Wisdom teeth cause the most confusion. If a wisdom tooth is angled or impacted and causes pain, swelling or repeated pericoronitis, or if it is causing decay in the neighbouring tooth - in other words, it has already become a condition - the extraction usually falls within the covered scope. If the wisdom tooth is upright and causing no trouble and you would simply like it out as a precaution, that is an extraction on request.
The surest way to know is to have the dentist examine you and take an X-ray. After assessing it, the dentist will tell you which group your case falls into and quote the corresponding cost before starting.
Safer extraction for patients with underlying conditions
For older patients with high blood pressure or diabetes, extraction calls for extra care. This is where a general clinic model helps: at Ky Hoa Dental you can have your blood pressure taken, tests done when needed and a joint consultation with an internal medicine doctor within the same centre before the Odonto-Stomatology dentist proceeds - no travelling between two places.
Frequently asked questions
Is wisdom tooth extraction covered by health insurance?
If the wisdom tooth is angled, causing pain, infection or complications - in other words, it has become a condition - the extraction usually falls within the covered scope. An extraction on request, while the tooth is causing no problem, does not.
Can people with high blood pressure or diabetes have a tooth extracted?
Yes, but the underlying condition should be well controlled first. At Ky Hoa Dental you have your blood pressure taken, tests done and a joint consultation with an internal medicine doctor within the centre beforehand.
What should I watch for after an extraction?
For the first 48 hours, eat cool, soft food, chew on the opposite side, avoid vigorous rinsing, and avoid smoking and alcohol. The dentist will give you specific instructions for your case.