I had been experiencing pain in my wisdom tooth on the left side of my lower jaw for two days. Today I went to the dentist (located in the CBD) and he said that it would probably need extracting and took a panoramic x-ray. According to the x-ray, the nerve running along the jawline is very close to the tooth needing to be extracted and he was not willing to run the risk of proceeding to extract the tooth and and potentially damage the nerve. He said that he would have to refer to a specialist which can cost a lot more. In the meantime, he cleaned it out and got rid of the extra pus and bacteria that was building up in the gum.

However, he said it was just a temporary fix and it would need extracting in the future by a specialist who would put me under during the process.

I was wondering how much (estimate) will this procedure cost in most clinics in Auckland?

I'm not a big earner (less than 35000) a year and have next to no savings. I recently obtained health insurance last month but they said they aren't going to pay out because there is a 12 month stand down period from when you first joined.

A little about me if it helps: I am female, 23 years old. No major medical history or chronic illness. No allergies. The only medications I take are for hayfever PRN.

I really want to get rid of this pain because it is really bothersome and I can't even really eat. its hurts so much when I bite down on hard foods.

How much do you think this will cost. Any and all answers are much appreciated :)