My wisdom tooth hurts; how worried should I be?

Over the last few days one of my wisdom teeth and my jaw have started to be really sore. I didn’t sign up for my company’s health insurance (smart move!) and the next time I can opt in is six months from now, once I’ve been at this job for a year. So for the near future, I don’t have insurance. Also, I’m a restaurant manager, so I can’t just call in sick. Unless I can give at least a few weeks notice, there won’t be anybody to cover for me. During the entire time I’ve worked here, I’ve never taken a sick day. I have a five-day vacation scheduled at the end of july, and I’m thinking about staying in town instead and getting this taken care of.

If you’ve had yours removed, how much did it cost, and what was your recovery time? If your teeth started hurting, how bad was it? I’m trying to decide whether I can afford it, and whether I can hold out til my vacation time in three weeks. I’ve heard that an impacted wisdom tooth can become infected, and that can be really serious. I just want to deal with this in a calm and rational way. Thanks!