DATA-BACKED GUIDE · UPDATED JULY 2026
Root canal cost in the UK: NHS vs private prices
A root canal saves a tooth that would otherwise need to come out, so most people want a price before they commit to anything. On the NHS the treatment sits inside a fixed band charge. A private dentist sets their own fee, and that fee depends heavily on which tooth is involved and how many canals it has. The real prices below show what people are actually paying right now, not a list price a practice publishes and then discounts.
The quick version
- On the NHS in England a root canal falls under a Band 2 course of treatment, which is £76.60 from 1 April 2026, whatever tooth it is and however many canals the dentist has to clean out.
- Private fees are not fixed and rise with the number of canals, so a back molar costs more than a single-canal front tooth even at the same practice.
- A crown is often recommended afterwards, especially on molars, and it is charged as a separate item on top of the root canal itself.
- Finding an NHS dentist taking new patients is hard in many parts of the UK, and that shortage is a big part of why people end up paying private rates.
- The gap between the cheapest and most expensive private quote for the same tooth can be large, which is why getting more than one quote matters here specifically.
What people actually paid
Where these 16 prices come from — 8 named sources
- nhs.uk
- gov.wales
- mumsnet.com
- dentistryforyou.co.uk
- whitesdental.co.uk
- manchesterdental.co.uk
- thelondondentalcentre.co.uk
- gransnet.com
Each is a published price list, an official survey, or a receipt/quote a reader shared. The full per-price list with year and area is on the root canal page.
The gap: advertised vs actually paid (medians)
People reported paying 234% more than the advertised NHS or list price for root canal.
NHS / list prices are advertised prices; paid figures are what people reported, often for different cases. Treat the gap as a signal, not a quote.
Real prices, in people's own words
- £300“just shy of 300 for the root canal and crown”
- £600“it came to 600 all in”
- £750“I paid about £750 for a root canal and crown in Northern Ireland recently”
- £900“I had a canal recently that cost me £900”
- £1,600“Yes I paid £1600 for a private root canal last year”
- £1,600“Just paid £1600 for an extraction, root canal and crown”
Genuine amounts posted publicly. We publish the price and the quote, never the person.
Why the price varies so much
The biggest single factor is the tooth itself. Front teeth usually have one canal, premolars often have two, and back molars can have three or four, so the private fee climbs with the complexity of the work involved. Whether the case is straightforward or a retreatment of a previously failed root filling matters too, and retreatment tends to take longer and cost more. Who actually does the work changes the price as well: a general dentist charges one rate, while an endodontist, a specialist in root canal work, charges more but takes on the curved or blocked canals a general dentist might otherwise refer elsewhere. The practice itself plays a part too. A large corporate chain, an independent high street practice and a specialist referral clinic all set fees differently, and region matters, with prices in London and the South East typically running higher than in other parts of the UK. On the NHS none of this changes what you pay, because the whole course of treatment sits in one fixed band regardless of which tooth or how many canals it has.
How to pay less
- Check whether you qualify for NHS treatment. A root canal there is a Band 2 charge, and dental care is free for under 18s, pregnant women and some benefit claimants, so it is worth confirming before you book privately.
- Get more than one private quote for the same tooth. Fees vary a lot between practices even a short distance apart, so ringing round pays off.
- Ask upfront whether a crown is included in the quote or billed separately afterwards, so the total doesn't land on you as a surprise once the root canal is already done.
- Ask about monthly payment plans or 0 percent finance. Many private practices offer this for larger treatments and it can make a big single bill more manageable.
- If a general dentist refers you to a specialist for a tricky canal, ask why and what the specialist adds, since specialist fees sit higher and you want to know what you're paying for.
- Compare the quote against the real prices on this page for the same tooth type, not just a headline figure from one practice's website.
Common questions
Is a root canal cheaper on the NHS?
Yes, usually by a wide margin. On the NHS in England a root canal is part of a Band 2 course of treatment at £76.60, whatever tooth it is. A private dentist charges their own fee, which is higher and increases for back teeth with more canals. The catch is that NHS appointments can be hard to get, which is what pushes many people towards private care in the first place.
Why does a front tooth cost less than a back tooth?
Front teeth generally have a single canal, so the work is quicker and more straightforward. Molars at the back can have three or four canals that curve and branch, which takes more time and more skill to clean out fully. Private pricing reflects that directly, so molars sit at the top end of the range. On the NHS the band charge stays the same either way, since it isn't priced tooth by tooth.
Do I need a crown after a root canal?
Often yes, particularly on molars that take heavy chewing forces, because a treated tooth loses some of its structure and becomes more brittle, and a crown protects it from cracking under normal use. Front teeth can sometimes get away with just a filling instead. Either way the crown is charged separately from the root canal, so factor it into your total when you compare quotes rather than treating the root canal fee as the whole bill.
Is it cheaper to just have the tooth out instead?
An extraction is usually the cheaper option on the day, but it isn't really a like-for-like comparison, since you then have a gap that most people want filled with a bridge or implant, and both of those cost more over time than the root canal would have. A root canal keeps your own tooth in place. Whether that trade-off is worth it comes down to the specific tooth and what you'd want to do about the gap afterwards.
Does a specialist endodontist cost more than a general dentist?
Yes, specialists typically charge more than a general dentist for the same procedure. The reason is that they take on the harder cases, including retreatments and canals that are curved, narrow or blocked, which a general dentist may refer on rather than attempt. If your case is straightforward, a general dentist can often do it for less, so it's worth asking why a referral is being suggested before assuming you need the specialist rate.
Why did two dentists quote me such different prices for the same tooth?
Private root canal fees aren't set by any official price list, so practices set their own rates based on their overheads, location and who's doing the work. A large corporate practice, an independent dentist and a specialist clinic can all quote very differently for the same molar. That's exactly why getting more than one quote is worth the time, and why checking the real prices on this page for the same tooth type gives you a sense of what's typical rather than what one practice happens to charge.