How Much Does a Root Canal Cost in the UK? Private vs NHS (2026)
Root canal prices in the UK: where the regional private figures and the NHS band charges are published, what changes the price, and why a crown is usually a separate cost.
How much does a root canal cost in the UK? The national and regional figures, read from UK dental practices' own price lists and shown with the number of practices behind each, are on our dental price page. The NHS band charges are on the same page, with the NHS source and the date they were read.
Root canal prices by region
The dental price page publishes the median and the 5th to 95th percentile for root canal treatment in each region and in Central and Greater London, with the number of practices each figure rests on. The figures are not repeated here so that they cannot fall out of step with the dataset.
What affects the cost?
| Factor | Effect on price |
|---|---|
| Which tooth | Front teeth (usually one canal) take less time than molars (three or four) |
| Number of canals | More canals means more chair time |
| Complexity | Curved or calcified canals take longer |
| Re-treatment | Re-doing a failed root canal is usually priced separately and higher |
| Specialist vs general dentist | Endodontists are usually priced higher |
| Microscope use | Some practices price microscope-assisted treatment separately |
NHS vs private root canal
| NHS (England) | Private | |
|---|---|---|
| Charge | NHS Band 2 (see the dental page for the current charge) | Set by each practice |
| Includes crown? | No (a crown is Band 3) | Sometimes; ask |
| Specialist referral | Possible | Direct booking with many practices |
On the NHS in England, root canal treatment is Band 2 and a crown fitted afterwards is Band 3. Privately, some practices quote the crown separately and some include it. Ask for the total.
Do you always need a crown after root canal?
Usually, yes, especially for back teeth. A root-canal-treated tooth becomes brittle and a crown protects it from fracturing. Front teeth may sometimes be restored with a filling instead, but your dentist will advise.
Root canal vs extraction
| Root canal + crown | Extraction + implant | |
|---|---|---|
| Preserves natural tooth | Yes | No |
| Treatment time | A few appointments | Several months |
If a root canal fails, extraction and an implant remain an option. Your dentist can advise on the outlook for your tooth.
Compare dental prices
See root canal, crown and other dental prices by region, read from UK practices' own price lists.
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Important context
Provider and clinic profiles may combine public datasets, provider-published information and TreatCompare analysis. Registration status, services, prices and contact details can change. Verify directly with the provider before making treatment, commercial or legal decisions.
- Source type
- TreatCompare compiled research
- Primary source
- Provider-published information and TreatCompare research
- Reporting period
- 2026-10-26
- Last updated
- 2026-10-26
- Figure type
- Mixed sources
- Use
- Research and comparison only
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a private root canal cost in the UK?
Our dental price page publishes the national and regional figures for root canal treatment, read from UK practices' own price lists, with the number of practices each figure rests on. The price for a particular tooth depends on how many canals it has and how complex the treatment is, so ask the practice for a written estimate.
How much does a root canal cost on the NHS?
In England, root canal treatment falls in NHS Band 2, and a crown fitted afterwards falls in Band 3. Our dental page shows the current band charges with the NHS source and the date they were read, alongside the charging schemes in Wales and Scotland.
What affects the cost of a root canal?
Which tooth (front teeth usually have one canal, molars three or four), complexity (curved or calcified canals take longer), whether it is a re-treatment of a failed root canal, whether a specialist endodontist or a general dentist does it, and whether the practice uses a microscope.
Do you always need a crown after a root canal?
Usually, especially for back teeth. A root-canal-treated tooth becomes brittle and a crown protects it from fracturing. Front teeth may sometimes be restored with a filling instead. The crown is normally priced separately, so ask for the total.
Should I have a root canal or an extraction with an implant?
A root canal keeps the natural tooth; an extraction followed by an implant replaces it and takes several months. The two are priced separately on our dental page. Your dentist can advise on the outlook for your tooth.
Where in the UK is a root canal lower-cost?
Our dental price page shows the median and spread for each region side by side, with the number of practices behind each figure. For root canal treatment the regional medians sit close together.
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