How Much Does Root Canal Treatment Cost in the UK?

Root canal treatment has a reputation problem and a pricing fog to match. If you have been quoted anywhere from £200 to over £1,000 and want to know what is normal, here is the honest picture.

The short answer

Private root canal treatment in the UK typically costs £200 to £700 depending on the tooth, and £500 to £1,000 or more with a specialist endodontist for complex cases. At Bollington Dental Practice, root canal treatment starts from £305, and you will always have the exact cost in writing before treatment begins.

Why prices vary so much

• Which tooth it is. Front teeth have a single root canal; molars have three or four. More canals means more time in the chair and a higher fee.
• Dentist or specialist. Most root canals are done well by general dentists. Retreatments and unusually curved or blocked canals may be referred to an endodontist, whose fees are higher.
• What happens after. A root-filled back tooth usually needs a crown (from £600 with us) to protect it long term. A quote that ignores this is only telling you half the story, so always ask.

What about the NHS?

Root canal treatment is available on the NHS under a fixed banded charge, which is cheaper than private care. The practical catch is finding an NHS dentist with capacity to offer it, and NHS time pressures mean a molar root canal is exactly the treatment many NHS dentists struggle to give the hour or more it deserves.

Frequently asked questions

Why do back teeth cost more to root fill?

Molars have three or four root canals where front teeth have one, so the treatment takes considerably longer and is more intricate. Most practices price by tooth position for that reason.

Is it cheaper to just take the tooth out?

On the day, yes: our extractions start from £126. But a gap has costs of its own, from drifting neighbouring teeth to the price of filling it later with a bridge or implant. Where a tooth is saveable, saving it is usually the better long-term value, and we will give you an honest view either way.

Does root canal treatment hurt?

The treatment itself is done under local anaesthetic and for most patients feels similar to a long filling. What genuinely hurts is the infected tooth beforehand; treatment is what ends that pain.

If you have toothache that painkillers are not touching, do not wait for it to become an abscess. Call us on 01625 574609; we keep time in the diary for urgent problems, and all our prices are on the fees page.

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