How much does root canal treatment cost?

Root canal treatment prices and associated cost issues.

This page gives price estimates for having root canal therapy, broken down according to the type of tooth that’s being treated: incisor, canine, bicuspid or molar. (This is the same categorization that your dentist uses when setting their fees for providing this service.)

This page also discusses dental insurance issues that are frequently associated with having root canal, including procedure coverage rates and common limitations & restrictions. Example cost calculations are given.

We also explain how prices for treatment typically vary with retreatment cases, or cases where an endodontist (root canal specialist) performs the work.

Remember: You will have additional expenses with your tooth.

It’s important to keep in mind that the fees we show on this page are price estimates for performing a tooth’s root canal procedure only.

As discussed below, all teeth will additionally require some type of final (permanent) restoration after its treatment has been completed. And this will involve a separate fee.

A) Fees for root canal treatment (endodontic therapy) –

The cost estimates shown here are for cases where the procedure is performed by a general dentist (non-specialist). And the work is the tooth’s initial root canal therapy (not a retreatment case).

• Root canal treatment for an anterior tooth (incisor, canine/cuspid)
          $595.00 – $1250.00
      Low fee = Small rural city or town.
      High fee = Large metropolitan area.
• Root canal treatment for a premolar (bicuspid/premolar).
          $692.00 – $1355.00
• Root canal treatment for a posterior tooth (molar).
          $839.00 – $1624.00

How did we come up with these estimates?

What does the above fee include?

The prices shown above are for the cost of the tooth’s root canal therapy only. (Use this link for details about what that entails. Procedure steps.) The tooth’s work may require one or more What decides? appointments but only a single fee is charged.

The fee should include the local anesthetic (dental “shots”) that are necessary for your procedure, any dental x-rays that are needed to complete your tooth’s work, and the placement of an interim (temporary) restoration at the completion of each visit. Additionally, this fee should include any post-operative assistance that you or your tooth require.

The final restoration for this tooth was a crown with post & core.

What’s not included.

Related pages: The following links provide pricing information about:  Dental crown fees.,  Post & core fees. and  Dental filling fees. We provide example cost calculations below.

B) Root canal fees – Retreatment cases.

Dentists usually charge more for retreatment cases.

• The steps involved with non-surgical retreatment are essentially the same as when the tooth was first treated, with the exception that the previously placed filling material What is this? must first be removed.
• The time and skill needed to perform this task, and overcome the deficiencies associated with the tooth’s initial treatment, justify the higher price.

What’s the success rate of retreatment cases?

The success rate of retreatment is generally lower than initial treatment. A review of dental literature by Ng [2008] (see page-bottom references link) concluded that retreatment was successful 77% of the time. Original treatment can be expected to have a success rate of over 90%. Study findings.

(This page provides more in-depth coverage about conventional endodontic retreatment. Why is it chosen?)

If your dentist feels that the chance of a successful outcome for your tooth is low, they may instead recommend some type of alternative treatment approach Options. (like tooth extraction and replacement).

C) Root canal prices charged by endodontists (root canal specialists).

You can expect that the fee charged by an endodontist (for providing treatment for the same type of tooth) will be greater than that charged by your general dentist.

Endodontists generally treat the most difficult cases, and the fee that they charge reflects a premium based on the high level of skill and expertise they have to offer.

An endodontist’s fee can easily be 30% to 40% more than the average fee charged by general dentists in the same area.

Our page “Endodontist vs. General Dentists Comparing services. – Which makes the best choice, and when?” discusses the issue of case referral in detail.

Does dental insurance cover root canals?

It’s very common that a dental plan will provide benefits for this procedure. It’s typically categorized as a “Basic” dental service Defined. (although some plans may have it listed as a “Major” one).

As a Basic service, root canals are often covered at a rate of 80% of the procedure’s UCR fee (or with HMO’s, only a comparatively modest co-pay required). If categorized as a Major service, you can expect coverage levels to be less (frequently only 50%).

Common dental plan restrictions.

• You’ll probably need to have met your policy’s deductible Explained. in order to receive full benefits. There may also be limitations in regard to the policy’s maximum yearly benefits allowance. Explained.
• New policyholders may find that this procedure involves a waiting period. Explained. For example, there may be a stipulation that root canal treatment is not covered during the plan’s first 12 months.
• In the case where a tooth’s previous treatment has failed, you may find restrictions are triggered. For example, some plans limit each tooth to one root canal per lifetime.

  Other plans may not cover the retreatment of teeth previously covered within a certain time frame. (Two years is not uncommon.)

• Some plans may not provide a different level of benefits for work performed by an endodontist vs. a general dentist. This can present a problem because treatment performed by specialists typically costs more (see above).

Cost calculations for root canals.

Examples, with and without dental insurance coverage.

There are several different issues that will factor into how much your tooth that requires root canal treatment will wind up costing you. Here are some sample calculations that explain possible outcomes, both when dental insurance is and isn’t involved.

In this section, we also give suggestions about how the obstacle of policy maximum yearly benefits can sometimes be worked around.

As you know from reading above, the cost of endodontic therapy varies according to the type of tooth being treated. But for the sake of simplification, in the calculations below we’ve arbitrarily set it at $1000.

If only one tooth needs treatment –

• Total charges by your dentist for your work: $1000 X 1 (tooth) = $1000.
• If insurance is involved: As a “Basic” dental service, it’s common for insurance plans to cover 80% of the cost of this procedure, after the policy’s deductible has been met. But only up to the amount of its maximum annual benefits. (See above for a description of these terms.)

  For our examples, we’ll set the deductible at $100 and the policy’s maximum benefits at $1000. Both of these numbers are fairly common.

  Insurance benefits: [$1000 (total charges) – $100 (policy deductible)] X 80% = $720. Note, this number is smaller than the maximum yearly benefit.

  Amount you pay: $1000 (total charges) – $720 (insurance benefits) = $280.

• Additional expenses that will be required for your tooth.

If two teeth need treatment –

• Total charges by your dentist for your work: $1000 X 2 (teeth) = $2000.
• Insurance benefits: Using the policy values given above, the calculation for treating two teeth would be [$2000 (total charges) – $100 (the policy deductible)] X 80% = $1520. However, this number is greater than the policy’s maximum benefits, so the amount paid by insurance would be limited to $1000 (see solutions for this dilemma below).

  Amount you pay: $2000 (total charges) – $1000 (insurance benefits) = $1000.

• Additional expenses that will be required for your tooth.

If three teeth need treatment –

• Total charges by your dentist for your work: $1000 X 3 (teeth) = $3000.
• Insurance benefits: Using the same policy values stated previously, the calculation for treating three teeth would be [$3000 (total charges) – $100 (the policy deductible)] X 80% = $2320. Note however, this number is greater than the policy’s maximum yearly benefits (in fact its more than two years of benefits), so the amount paid would be limited to $1000 (see solutions for this dilemma below).

  Amount you pay: $3000 (total charges) – $1000 (insurance benefits) = $2000.

• Additional expenses that will be required for your tooth.

Working around the maximum yearly benefits limitation.

As you can see, when root canal treatment is involved a policy’s maximum benefits limitation can be reached very quickly. Adding in the fact that every tooth will also require some type of permanent restoration (crown or filling) only adds to this problem.

An example.

The following calculation will give you an idea of how much the full treatment some teeth require (root canal, post & core and dental crown) can be.

Notes: For this calculation, we’ll use all of the same values as above.

We’ll also arbitrarily set the fee for crowns and post & cores at $1000 and $350 respectively (these procedures are typically categorized as “Major” services, and as such are frequently only covered at 50%). (Links to more information about costs for crowns and post & cores.)

• Total charges by your dentist for your work: $1000 (root canal) + $350 (post & core) + $1000 (crown) = $2350.
• If insurance is involved:

  Insurance benefits –

  For the root canal: [$1000 (total charges) – $100 (policy deductible)] X 80% = $720.

  For the post & core and crown: [$1350 (total charges)] X 50% = $675.

  Total benefits: $720 + $675 = $1395. But since this number is greater than the maximum yearly benefit allowed, the actual amount paid will be limited to $1000.

  Amount you pay: $2350 (total charges) – $1000 (insurance benefits) = $1350.

A possible workaround.

As a solution, you might ask your dentist about the timing of your dental insurance policy year and how your treatment can be planned with it in mind.

For example, if your plan runs on a calendar year and December is winding up and you’ve just had root canal treatment completed, having your tooth crowned in early January of the next year (assuming your dentist concurs with this decision) could save you some money.

Dealing with insurance limitations when a large number of teeth require treatment.

In cases where a relatively large number of teeth must be treated and receive final restorations, the benefits paid by your insurance company can become comparatively minor.

An example.

Extrapolating on our example above, if just two teeth will receive root canal treatment, a post & core and have a dental crown placed:

• Total charges by your dentist for your work: $2000 (2 root canals) + $700 (2 post & cores) + $2000 (2 crowns) = $4700.
• If insurance is involved:

  Insurance benefits –

  For the 1st root canal: [$1000 (total charges) – $100 (policy deductible)] X 80% = $720.

  For the 2nd root canal: [$1000 (total charges)] X 80% = $800.

  For 2 post & cores and crowns: [$2700 (total charges)] X 50% = $1350.

  Total benefits: $720 + $800 + 1350 = $2870. But since this number is greater than the maximum yearly benefit allowed, the actual amount paid will be limited to $1000.

  Amount you pay: $4700 (total charges) – $1000 (insurance benefits) = $3700.

A possible workaround.

As a solution, and only after consulting with your dentist, you may find that some of your teeth can be stabilized and treated at a later time frame.

• This can be a risky approach Why? to use with teeth that require endodontic therapy. As an example, the possibility of an acute tooth flare-up always exists until treatment has been completed.
• It’s more likely that the placement of the final restoration might reasonably be delayed, although there are definite risks associated with this approach too (root canal failure Explained., tooth fracture Explained.).

If a decision to delay is chosen, it must be on the advice of your dentist. Only they have the needed knowledge to make an informed decision about what constitutes a reasonable approach for your situation.

Why do fees vary by tooth type?

When a dentist sets their fee schedule, one of the primary factors in determining how much they need to charge is the amount of time that it will take them to perform that procedure.

Root canal therapy is a prime example of this, with a primary factor in determining the amount of time needed for a tooth’s procedure What’s usual? being how many roots and root canals it has.

Dentists charge more for treating teeth having multiple roots and canals.

• Front teeth (incisors, canines) have one root and one canal.
• Bicuspids frequently have two roots and two canals.
• Lower molars have two roots and at least 3 canals.
• Upper molars have three roots and at least 3 or 4 canals.

And that means that each of these different types of teeth will take a different amount of time to treat. And these differences are reflected in the fee estimates shown above.

(Our list here is just a cursory one. This link “How many roots and root canals do teeth have?” Normal & variations. provides more detailed information.)