A root canal in the United States usually falls between about $700 and $2,000, and which tooth it is explains most of that range. A front tooth has one canal and is the cheapest to treat. A back molar can have three or four, sometimes more, and takes far longer, so it sits at the top of the range.
The number that catches people out is not the root canal at all. It is the crown that usually follows it, billed separately, often costing as much again. A quote for the root canal alone is only half the picture, and it is worth asking for both before you agree to anything.
Which tooth it is decides most of the price
Endodontic treatment is priced by how many canals have to be found, cleaned and filled, and that follows the tooth. Front teeth are usually single canal work. Premolars normally have one or two. Molars have three or four, occasionally more, and the canals themselves are narrower and more curved, which is what turns a one hour appointment into two.
As a rough guide to what practices charge across the US, before insurance:
- Front tooth: roughly $700 to $1,100
- Premolar: roughly $800 to $1,300
- Molar: roughly $1,000 to $2,000, and higher in expensive cities
A specialist usually costs more, and sometimes that is the cheaper outcome
General dentists do root canals routinely, particularly on front teeth and premolars. An endodontist is a dentist who has done two or three more years of training on this one procedure and does little else. They will typically charge more, often a few hundred dollars more on a molar.
That premium buys equipment and repetition: a microscope, and a practitioner who treats difficult molars every day rather than every few weeks. For a straightforward front tooth the difference in outcome is usually small. For a molar with curved canals, a previous filling in the way, or a tooth that has already been treated once, the specialist is often the better value, because the expensive outcome is not a higher fee, it is a treatment that fails and costs you the tooth.
The crown afterwards is the part people are not quoted
A back tooth that has had a root canal is more brittle than it was, and it has a hole in the top where the dentist worked. Left as a filling alone it is at real risk of splitting, and a tooth that splits below the gum usually cannot be saved. So a crown is standard on molars and premolars after treatment, and often on front teeth that have lost a lot of structure.
That crown is a separate fee, commonly $800 to $2,000 on its own. There may also be a core buildup first, a few hundred dollars, to give the crown something to hold onto. Added together, saving a molar often runs to $2,000 or $3,000 by the time it is finished. That total, not the root canal fee, is the number to compare against the alternatives.
What insurance usually does with it
Most dental plans treat a root canal as a major service, or sometimes a basic one, and commonly pay somewhere between half and eighty percent of their allowed fee after any deductible and waiting period. The allowed fee is the plan's number, not the practice's, so an out of network practice can leave you with the difference on top of your share.
The harder limit is the annual maximum. Many plans cap the year at $1,000 to $2,000 in total, which a root canal and a crown together can absorb entirely. If the treatment can safely be split across a plan year, and the tooth is not painful or infected, ask whether starting the root canal in December and crowning it in January would use two years of benefit rather than one. Sometimes it can. If the tooth is infected, do not wait for the calendar.
Retreatment and the alternatives cost differently
If a root canal has been done before and the tooth is causing trouble again, retreatment means taking out the original filling material and starting over. It takes longer than the first treatment and usually costs more, commonly $1,000 to $2,000, and more with a specialist. An apicoectomy, where the tip of the root is removed surgically, is a separate option in the same range.
The comparison people actually want is against taking the tooth out. An extraction is much cheaper up front, often $150 to $400 for a simple one. But the gap it leaves is what costs: an implant and crown to fill it commonly runs $3,000 to $5,000, and a bridge is not far off. Leaving the gap is free until the teeth either side start to drift into it. Our guide on choosing between a root canal and an extraction goes through that decision properly.
Getting a quote you can actually compare
Ask for a written estimate with the procedure codes on it, covering the root canal, any buildup and the crown as separate lines. Codes matter because they let a second practice price exactly the same work rather than something roughly similar.
Second opinions are normal here and most dentists expect them, particularly on a molar or on retreatment. If a quote looks far outside the ranges above, it is worth one. You can find other practices near you, which lists every dental office in the United States by town or ZIP code, free and with no account. Take the written estimate with you.
The short version
- Expect roughly $700 to $1,100 for a front tooth and $1,000 to $2,000 for a molar.
- The crown that usually follows is a separate fee, often as much again.
- An endodontist normally charges more, and is usually worth it on a difficult molar.
- Most plans pay half to eighty percent of their allowed fee, until the annual maximum runs out.
- Ask for a written estimate with codes, listing the root canal, buildup and crown separately.
Looking for a dentist?
Our directory lists every dental practice in the United States, from the public federal registry. Search by town or ZIP code, or let your browser find the closest ones.
Frequently asked
Why is a molar so much more expensive than a front tooth?
Because you are paying for canals, not for teeth. A front tooth usually has one, a molar has three or four, and they are narrower and more curved. Each one has to be found, cleaned along its whole length and sealed, which is why a molar can take twice as long or need two appointments.
Can I have the root canal and skip the crown to save money?
On a front tooth with most of its structure left, sometimes a filling is enough and your dentist will say so. On a molar it is a poor gamble. The tooth is brittle after treatment and a split usually means losing it, at which point you have paid for the root canal and lost the tooth anyway.
Is it cheaper to just have the tooth pulled?
On the day, yes, usually by a long way. Over a few years it often is not, because replacing a missing back tooth with an implant or bridge costs more than saving the original one. The exception is a tooth that is already badly broken down, where the dentist may tell you it is not worth treating.
Does a root canal hurt more than a filling?
The treatment itself should not, because the tooth is numbed the same way. Most of the pain people associate with root canals is the infection that sent them in. Afterwards the tooth is commonly tender to bite on for a few days, which usually settles with ordinary painkillers.
This is general information to help you ask better questions, not a diagnosis. Prices are rough US ranges and vary by city and practice. Anything happening in your own mouth needs a dentist who can look at it.