How Much Does a Tooth Extraction Cost in Australia?
The short answer.
On 2023-24 health fund claims, a simple extraction averaged $215 and a surgical one, where bone is removed or the tooth divided, $491 (Private Healthcare Australia). Funds paid 40 to 44%. In hospital, the dentist or surgeon, the hospital and the anaesthetist each bill separately.
The X-ray decides what taking a tooth out costs. A tooth that lifts out whole is one item on a dental quote. A tooth that needs bone removed, or has to be cut into pieces, is another, and on 2023-24 health fund claims it averaged more than twice as much: $491 against $215. You may have a broken tooth and a choice between saving it and taking it out. Or you may have wisdom teeth that hurt and a quote for the chair or for hospital.
What a tooth extraction costs
On 2023-24 health fund claims, a simple extraction averaged $215 and a surgical one $491, according to Private Healthcare Australia (PHA), the peak body for health funds.
Tooth extractions, 2023-24 averages
| Extraction | Item | Average charge | Funds paid | Patient paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple: the tooth lifts out whole | 311 | $215 | $95 | $120 |
| Surgical: bone removed or the tooth divided | 324 | $491 | $196 | $295 |
Source: Private Healthcare Australia, Typical prices of dental care, 2023-24 claims. These are published Australian figures, not Dental Spot’s fees.
The Australian Dental Association’s (ADA) schedule has two items between these. Item 314 is a tooth taken out in sections, and item 322 needs a cut in the gum but no bone removed. PHA publishes no average for either.
How hard the tooth is to remove decides which item it is, and the X-ray shows that: whether the tooth is through the gum or still under it, and whether it has to come out in pieces. Some teeth lift out simply. Others need a small cut in the gum, removal in pieces and a few stitches. Funds paid for 868,415 extractions on the two published items in 2023-24, and 323,156 were surgical, about 37 in 100, so a surgical extraction on a quote is common.
The extraction item covers what follows it. The ADA’s schedule says it includes the stitches, normal care afterwards, taking the stitches out and treating a dry socket if one develops. When the practice that took the tooth out does any of these, they shouldn’t appear on your bill as extra items.
A tooth taken out at an emergency visit also carries an examination and an X-ray. At PHA’s averages, a limited examination (013, $56), one X-ray (022, $45) and a simple extraction come to $316, with funds paying $161 and patients $155 (our sum).
PHA’s figures cover only extractions claimed on private health insurance, across Australia. They don’t split front teeth from molars, and no source publishes a Sydney average. PHA hasn’t published a newer edition. The dentists’ own 2022 fee survey, reported by CHOICE, puts a simple extraction close to PHA’s figure.
What wisdom teeth cost to take out
In the chair, at PHA’s 2023-24 averages, one wisdom tooth taken out surgically comes to $684 with a consultation and a panoramic X-ray, and all four come to $2,157.
Wisdom teeth in the chair: our sums of PHA’s 2023-24 averages
| Wisdom teeth out | Items | Average charge | Funds paid | Patient paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | 014, 037, 324 | $684 | $315 | $370 |
| Two, both lower | 014, 037, 324 ×2 | $1,175 | $511 | $665 |
| Four | 014, 037, 324 ×4 | $2,157 | $903 | $1,255 |
Source: Private Healthcare Australia, Typical prices of dental care, 2023-24 claims. These are published Australian figures, not Dental Spot’s fees.
We built each row by adding PHA’s averages for a consultation (014, $78), a panoramic X-ray that shows both jaws (037, $115) and a surgical extraction (324) for each tooth. PHA rounds its averages to the dollar, so funds paid and patient paid can add up to a dollar or two more or less than the charge. The rows assume every tooth needs bone removed or dividing. A wisdom tooth that’s fully through may come out as a simple extraction (311, $215). If needed, a 3D scan (CBCT, 026) averaged $148 and inhaled sedation (943) $93 per 30 minutes. PHA publishes no average for IV sedation (942).
Not every wisdom tooth has to come out. healthdirect lists when one may need to: it doesn’t come through the gum properly, it’s stuck against nearby teeth or bone, it’s at risk of decay or frequent gum infections, or it has a cyst. A 2020 Cochrane review found too little evidence to say whether stuck wisdom teeth that cause no symptoms or disease should come out or stay, and advises regular checks for those that stay. So a dentist can take out the one causing trouble and watch the others at your check-ups. A price for all four saves money only if all four need to come out.
Most people are back to normal in a few days, and a lower wisdom tooth removed surgically can take a week or so. Our wisdom teeth page covers the procedure and aftercare.
Why hospital costs more, and who pays which part
In hospital, the dental fee for each tooth is about the same as in the chair, and the hospital and the anaesthetist bill on top. CHOICE puts the dental fee for a complex case in hospital or day surgery at $315 to $599 per tooth on average, depending on where you live, without the day surgery or the anaesthetist. PHA’s in-chair average for a surgical extraction, $491, sits inside that range.
Medibank’s 2023-24 claims put a typical hospital admission for removing impacted teeth at $1,902 to $2,584 at its Members’ Choice hospitals, before doctors’ fees. No one publishes an average for the anaesthetist or for a whole hospital stay, so we don’t add up a total.
The Commonwealth Ombudsman sets out who pays towards each bill.
The three bills for teeth taken out in hospital
| Bill | What it covers | Who pays towards it |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist or surgeon | Taking the teeth out, billed with the same dental item numbers as in the chair | Extras cover, if your level of cover includes surgical tooth extraction |
| Hospital | Accommodation and the operating theatre | Hospital cover that includes dental surgery. Without it, you pay the full hospital fee |
| Anaesthetist | The general anaesthetic | Medicare usually pays 75% of the schedule fee and your fund the other 25%. You pay anything charged above the schedule fee |
In the Ombudsman’s words: “You will need to have both Hospital and General Treatment (Extras) cover to receive maximum benefits.”
Dental surgery is its own category of hospital cover, and the government’s privatehealth.gov.au gives surgery to remove wisdom teeth as its example. CHOICE says all Silver hospital policies include it, and some Bronze Plus policies do. Hospital cover has a 12-month wait for a condition you had before you joined (CHOICE).
Whether a tooth needs hospital is a clinical call that follows the X-ray, and being fully asleep means a general anaesthetic in hospital. If you’ve been quoted for hospital and would rather stay awake, ask why your teeth need it and whether a local anaesthetic, with or without sedation, is an option.
What your health fund pays back
Across all 2023-24 claims, funds paid 44% of the charge for a simple extraction and 40% for a surgical one (PHA), but what yours pays depends on your policy. Three published policies show the spread.
Extraction benefits on three 2026 policies
| Policy | Benefit per item | Annual limit it draws on | Wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| ahm family extras (1 April 2026) | 311: $63.20, 324: $161.15 | Routine dental: $500 in your first 5 years of membership, rising to $650 from 20 years, shared with check-ups and fillings | None |
| HIF Essential Extras (1 January 2026) | 322: $139.75 (324 not listed) | General dental: one $1,250 limit shared with major dental and orthodontics | 2 months |
| HIF Top Extras (1 January 2026) | 322: $165.15 (324 not listed) | General dental: no annual limit | 2 months |
On ahm family extras, a surgical extraction is routine dental with no wait, so you can claim it in your first month. Four surgical wisdom teeth at PHA’s average ($1,964) would draw $644.60 in benefits, more than the $500 limit of your first five years (our sum). HIF’s sheets don’t list 324, so ask HIF what it pays for that item number.
Insurers can set any waiting period for extras cover, says the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, so check yours if you joined recently.
Taking it out or keeping it
On the day, taking a tooth out costs about the same as filling it and less than saving it with root canal treatment. In 2023-24 a simple extraction averaged $215 and a two-surface filling on a back tooth (532) $221 (PHA). At PHA’s averages, root canal treatment comes to $759 for one canal and up to $1,692 for a three-canal back tooth, before the crown most back teeth need. Our root canal cost guide sets out what decides that price.
The gap is the cost that comes later. Replacing the tooth means a bridge, an implant or a partial denture. Our implant cost guide sets out what an implant costs, and our pages on crowns and bridges and partial dentures cover the other two.
If several teeth are coming out to make way for dentures, our full dentures cost guide covers the extractions and the dentures together.
Frequently asked questions
Does Medicare cover tooth or wisdom tooth removal?
Not the extraction itself, for most people (healthdirect). If you have teeth out under a general anaesthetic in hospital, the Commonwealth Ombudsman says Medicare usually pays 75% of the anaesthetist’s schedule fee and your hospital cover the other 25%. The Child Dental Benefits Schedule covers extractions for eligible children, but not any dental service in a hospital, which matters for 16 and 17 year olds having wisdom teeth out.
Can I have just one wisdom tooth out?
Yes. Which wisdom teeth come out depends on which ones are causing trouble and where they sit. Healthy ones that cause no trouble can stay, and a dentist keeps an eye on them at your check-ups.
Does having a tooth out hurt?
The area is numbed, so you’ll feel pressure rather than sharp pain. It’s sore for a few days afterwards, and pain relief and cold packs help. If you’re nervous, ask about sedation.
Can a dentist take out an infected or badly broken tooth?
Often, yes. The dentist checks whether it can come out the same day or whether root canal treatment can save it, and explains the options and the cost first. If you have trouble breathing or speaking, or swelling around your eye or neck, go to a hospital emergency department. For a fever or trouble swallowing, call a dentist the same day.
What if I get a dry socket?
healthdirect says dry socket happens in about 1 in 20 extractions, more often after a lower wisdom tooth. The pain starts within 1 to 3 days, and treatment includes pain relief and medicated dressings. Call the practice that took the tooth out: under the ADA’s schedule, treating a dry socket is part of the extraction item there.
What if I can’t afford to have a tooth out?
Ask your dentist which tooth is urgent and whether the rest can be done in stages, across more than one year of fund limits. NSW public dental services treat children under 18 and adults with a Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, and waiting times depend on how urgent your care is. Eligible children can also use the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.
Talk to us
Fees depend on the treatment you need, so we give you an accurate quote at your consultation, before anything starts. For an extraction, the quote follows the X-ray, which shows how hard the tooth is to remove, and lists the item numbers so your fund can tell you its benefit before you decide. We’ll talk through whether a tooth can be kept before suggesting it comes out. Any of our dentists can take out a tooth, and Dr James Pomfret enjoys taking out wisdom teeth. Teeth deep in the bone or close to the nerve can be better removed by a surgeon, sometimes in hospital: if yours is one, we’ll explain why and refer you, and the surgeon’s fee is separate. If several teeth are coming out, our dental prosthetist can make immediate dentures beforehand so you leave with teeth. Bring your fund card and we’ll claim through HICAPS when you pay, so you pay only the gap. We also accept NSW Health dental vouchers. If a tooth is swollen or aching badly now, see our emergency dentist page. Read about wisdom teeth and extractions at Dental Spot.
Sources
- Typical prices of dental care (2023-24) (another site), Private Healthcare Australia, October 2024
- The Australian Schedule of Dental Services and Glossary, 13th edition (another site), Australian Dental Association
- How much does the dentist cost? (another site), CHOICE, updated 9 March 2023
- Mouth and teeth (another site), healthdirect, last reviewed February 2026
- Surgical removal versus retention for the management of asymptomatic disease-free impacted wisdom teeth (another site), Ghaeminia and others, Cochrane, 2020
- Health insurance for wisdom teeth surgery in Australia (another site), CHOICE, updated 27 March 2025
- How much does a surgical tooth extraction cost? (another site), Medibank, 2023-24 claims
- Dental and Oral Surgery (another site), Commonwealth Ombudsman
- Clinical categories (another site), privatehealth.gov.au
- Waiting periods and exemptions (another site), Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
- Cost of dental care (another site), healthdirect
- Dry socket (another site), healthdirect, last reviewed September 2025
- What’s covered by the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (another site), Services Australia
- Fund benefit examples: ahm family extras (another site) (1 April 2026), HIF Essential Extras (another site) and HIF Top Extras (another site) (1 January 2026)
This guide is general information, not advice about your own teeth. Your dentist can tell you what applies to you, including the risks of any treatment.
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
