# VHI and Wisdom teeth.



## SlurrySlump (4 Dec 2008)

Does anyone know if the VHI covers the extraction of wisdom teeth in a dentists surgery as distinct from a hospital?  If so, is this called an "out patients" procedure and subject to an excess?  I cannot get a straight answer from my dentist and the VHI are very vague.


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## markpb (4 Dec 2008)

I got my two lower wisdom teeth removed as an out patient in Trinity Dental School. The operation cost €470 and VHI covered €432 of that but they couldn't tell me how much until after the operation was complete and I had a bill from the school. I'm on Plan B or Company Plan or something of that level. I've no idea how they came up with that figure.

You need to ring VHI and ask them to send out a pre-claim form now. You and someone in the dental surgery need to fill it in and post it back. VHI will (several weeks later) tell you whether your claim will be approved. After the operation, you send the bill to VHI and they pay their share directly to the surgery, leaving you to pay the rest.


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## Curious81 (4 Dec 2008)

VHI does cover this in a dentists surgery as well. The secretary at your dentist has probably gone through the process a few times so ring and ask!


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## SlurrySlump (4 Dec 2008)

The dentist wants to be paid in full after the procedure. They say that they will give the necessary receipts for a claim to be made from VHI.  I have to make this claim from VHI myself. This seems to be different to what markpb is saying above?


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## markpb (4 Dec 2008)

TCD told me I could pay them or I could wait until VHI paid them which could take a long time so I opted to pay them because I was going on holidays. When VHI approved my claim, they insisted they couldn't pay me directly (legally) and had to pay the surgery instead. I claimed my money back from TCD after that.


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## SlurrySlump (5 Dec 2008)

Did you get your top wisdom teeth out?  It seems the dentist wants to do the top teeth but not the bottom teeth but will refer me onwards. Will the VHI count these as two procedures or one?  This is why I am worrying about having to pay two separate bills with an excess or similar unclaimable charge on each procedure.


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## markpb (5 Dec 2008)

I got both my bottom wisdom teeth out at the same time. It went in as one claim but the surgeons notes did state that both teeth came out. It was also billed as one operation so I'd assume only one excess applies but I'm not sure. I don't understand why VHI make it so awkward.


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