Inside each person’s tooth, there exists a pulp that provides that tooth with nerves and the nutrients. There are times when the pulp dies if it has been damaged and usually your dentist would recommend a root canal treatment to save the affected tooth by cleaning out the damaged pulp and reforming the canal. Once the pulp tissue has been removed, the root canal is closed for protection where a crown is positioned over the tooth to increase its strength.
You think that you need a root canal treatment, but you do not have any idea if how much does a root canal cost? This article will surely bring answers to your questions.
Average Root Canal Cost
- Root Canal’s price depends on which tooth will the doctor operate on, but on an average, you will have to pay for an average ranging from $400 to $2000 or more.
- A root canal’s price for front tooth is around $1100 to $1200 if you are uninsured or you or a cash-paying patient will only have to pay $600 or above if you are insured.
- The average root canal cost for a mid-molar tooth is around $900 to $1000 if you are uninsured or a cash-paying patient or you will only have to pay $300 or above if you are covered by a health insurance.
- The average root canal price for the back molar tooth is around $1184 if you are uninsured or a cash-paying patient or you will only have to pay $600 or above if your health insurance policy covers such procedure.
Factors Affecting the Root Canal’s Price
- The geographic location will affect the price of a root canal treatment. Other states and cities or even countries charge higher or lower than others. This is also true for doctors, clinic, and hospitals.
- As mentioned, the price of a root canal treatment will surely vary according to which tooth needs the treatment. Typically, back molar tooth root canal treatment is the most expensive while the front tooth root canal treatment is the cheapest comparing the three.
- The root canal is needed to be sealed by a crown after the dead pulp tissue is removed. The price of this crown varies depending which material was the crown made of. When it is a porcelain and metal crown, it is usually around $1000 to $1500 if not covered by insurance or $600 or above if covered by a health insurance. When it is a metal crown, it is usually around $1000 to $1600 if not covered by a policy or $800 or above if covered by insurance. When it is an all-porcelain crown, it is usually around $1300 to $1500 if not covered by a health insurance policy or $900 or more if covered by insurance. An all-porcelain crown is commonly the most expensive type.
Extra Costs
- There are instances where the doctor would suggest for a multi-root canal treatment. If this is the case for you, you will have to pay for each of the tooth’s root canal treatment.
- The root canal treatment can be done in a single visit. However, your dentist will strongly recommend that you come back for a follow-up office visit. This visit will most likely result in an office exam surcharge. Moreover, if the root canal procedure is too complex, you may need to come back for another visit, and this will cost you more.
- Depending on the billing policy of the clinic or dentist, the x-rays may or may not be billed separately from the total quote for the root canal treatment.
- The emergency operation for root canals can also happen, and this will cost around 10% to 30% more than the standard root canal procedure.
- An initial consultation with your dentist will be required to discuss your options. There are offices that charge an initial consultation for free, but other offices usually charge not less than $100.
- Depending on the material used for the dental crown, added cost will be varied. If you choose an all-porcelain crown, you will have to pay for more. Take note; crowns are usually added cost billed on top of your root canal treatment.
Ways to Save Some Money
The procedure will be expensive, that is unarguable. But obviously, you want to seek for the best option that is within your budget, so here are some tips you might find useful when planning to get a root canal treatment:
- It is important you get a health insurance. Other insurances do not cover for dental services, and other insurance does. But if you do have a health insurance, ask your insurance provider if you have dental coverage. You also can get a separate insurance for your dental services. Although the premiums you pay for such insurance will be an additional cost, it will be worth it in the long run. Most of the time, insurances pick up a portion of the bill.
- If you just started your health or dental insurance, always wait for you to have full coverage first when you can already undergo extensive and expensive procedures such as root canal treatment. There are insurances that have a waiting period that means you will have to wait for certain months before you get full eligibility and coverage. Contact your insurance provider to check in with your benefits and eligibility.
- Scout for dental clinics near your place. It is always good to do some research before picking a clinic where you wish to go and have the root canal treatment. Through this, you will not just be able to compare the prices of each clinic, but you will also have the opportunity to check the conduciveness and cleanliness of the clinic.
- You might also want to consider going to a near local dental school when scouting for clinics that offer a root canal treatment. These dental clinics at schools can operate on a procedure such as this for a minimum cost.
- Never forget that prevention is always better than cure. There are ways to take good care of your teeth; this includes brushing your teeth regularly, drinking milk or calcium-rich beverages and more. In this way, you protect your teeth and your wallet from future dental procedures that would cost you a dollar or more.