Knowing that you need a root canal treatment can be stressful enough. What can be more stressful than finding out you need root canal treatment? Not knowing the cost. Furthermore, the treatment and the name in itself can be very stressful let alone the stress of how much the treatment will cost and how you’re going to afford it. So how much does a root canal cost? it will depend on whether you have dental insurance or not. If you’re without insurance you’ll be footing the entire bill yourself.
The cost of a root canal
There are many different costs associated with a root canal. The cost will depend on the country your in and the tooth or teeth that need the treatment.
Bicuspids and front teeth can cost less than Molars when it comes to the cost of root canal treatment. Many of us think this is because the front teeth are easily accessible than the back however this is not the case. The main reason for the expensive cost of having your molars does is the fact that the front teeth only have one canal whereas the back teeth such as the Molars can have as many as three. If all of them need treatment some dental practices may offer you a bulk discount on the Molars. Check before booking.
The main question we all have is how much am I going to pay for a root canal? There’s no fixed price you’ll pay it all depends on the tooth that needs treatment and many other factors. On average you’ll be paying $1,000. There are average prices you’ll pay depending on the tooth here they are below.
The average cost of a root canal by tooth
- Molars: This is the most expensive treatment you can expect to pay for. With a Molar root canal, you can expect to pay anywhere between $500 to $2000. However, the average spend ranges between $1,000 to $1,300.
- Bicuspids: The cost of root canal treatment on the Bicuspids is a little cheaper. With the Bicuspids root canal, you can expect to pay anywhere between $400 to $1,800. However, the average spend ranges between $900 to $1,100.
- Front Teeth: The front teeth will cost you least out of all. With front teeth root canal, you can expect to pay anywhere between $300 to $1,500. However, the average spend ranges between $900 to $1,100.
Wondering what that treatment includes? The costs listed above will include an x-ray and the treatment itself. Many other cost implications associated with root canal treatment may occur. You’ll need to pay for a follow-up visit which can cost anywhere between $50 to $100 each. You may also need a dental crown which will cost more depending on the tooth you have done and how nice you want the crown to be. This can cost between $300 to $3,000. Some root canal treatments may only need a filling after and not a crown. This can cost anywhere between $50 to $300.
Does insurance cover a root canal?
On average 64% of Americans have dental insurance. If your part of this average the amount your insurance will cover will depend on the type of policy you have according to the National Association of Dental Plans.
Dental insurance will normally cover 100% of routine dental costs. However, when you undergo major procedures such as root canal they will only pay about half the costs. There may also be a waiting period with many insurance policies. This means that you have to have carried out the policy for a certain amount of time to be eligible for more expensive treatments such as root canal. The worst thing you can do is wait until you have full coverage for the treatment before carrying it out. This can only make the situation worse and you may even be paying out more.
Saving money on root canal
It’s best not to get discounts or look for really cheap root canal treatments as they might not be suitable. It’s good to look into having the treatment done at a local dental college to cut down the cost. Even though Dental colleges are always looking for patients for their students to practice on, however, root canal treatments are performed by qualified dentists and endodontists.
We recommend you research a number of dental practices before having the procedure performed as some may be cheaper than others. You may even be able to get a discount if you pay your bill in cash. Just saving as little as 10% on a procedure such as a root canal can save you a lot of money.
Why you shouldn’t put it off
Root canal treatments can be very scary. We don’t want to put you off however if your thinking of putting off the treatment you may need a little nudge. The main reason for this is because the root canal can have serious complications if ignored.
If you wondering what a root canal is the best way to describe it is that you currently have a tooth that’s infected to the root. It won’t get better on its own but will definitely get worse on its own. In the worst-case, your full body can get infected putting you at risk of Heart attacks, Stroke, and even brain hemorrhages which can all lead to death.
Once you have the root canal treatment is done which many say is a pain-free procedure, you’ll start to feel immediate pain relief from the infected tooth. There’s no price you can put on that. When you start to feel the pain or know you need the treatment you should start looking to get it done sooner than later.
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