Root canal cost in the UK ranges from £645 to £850 per tooth at Bank Dental Practice in Prestwich. A single root tooth is £645 and a molar is £850. The price depends on how many roots the tooth has, because each root contains a canal that must be cleaned and sealed. Every fee includes diagnostic X-rays and a temporary filling. Most back teeth also need a crown afterwards, which is charged separately and is the cost most price guides leave out.
How Much Does a Root Canal Cost in the UK?
Private root canal treatment is commonly quoted between £500 and £1,400 per tooth across the UK. That range is wide because =practices price by complexity, and complexity varies enormously between a front tooth and a back one.
Bank Dental Practice publishes fixed fees rather than a range, split across two treatment tiers. All fees are confirmed following an assessment, and the full list is on the private fees page.
| Root canal treatment | Standard | Under magnification |
| Single root | £645 | £695 |
| Two roots | £695 | £795 |
| Three roots or a repeat treatment | £745 | £850 |
Book a consultation to have the tooth assessed and a fixed fee confirmed before anything is committed.
Why are there two root canal prices at the same practice?
The second tier reflects treatment carried out under an operating microscope by a dentist with a special interest in endodontics.
Magnification changes what is findable. Extra canals, unusually curved roots and blocked canals are the common reasons a root canal fails, and they are far easier to identify and treat under a microscope than by eye. For a straightforward single root tooth the difference in outcome is small. For a molar, or for a tooth that has already been treated once, it is significant.
Why does a molar root canal cost more than a front tooth?
Every root in a tooth contains at least one canal, and every canal has to be located, cleaned along its full length and sealed. Miss one and the infection comes back.
Front teeth usually have a single root and a single canal. The work is contained and often finished in one appointment. Premolars generally have one or two. Molars have three roots and frequently four canals, sometimes more, and the extra anatomy is not always visible on a standard X-ray. More canals means more time, more precision and a higher fee.
This is why quoted average root canal costs online are close to meaningless. The tooth determines the price.
Do You Need a Crown After a Root Canal?
Usually yes on a back tooth, and this is the cost patients are most often unprepared for.
A treated tooth has lost its nerve and blood supply. It becomes brittle, and what eventually splits it is chewing rather than decay. A crown binds the remaining structure together. Where a lot of the tooth has broken away, a fibre or metal post is fitted first at £180 to give the crown a foundation.
Emax and zirconia crowns are £795 each, with a metal based semi precious crown at £625. Details of each are on the crowns page.
A molar root canal with a post and a zirconia crown totals £1,825. A front tooth with a crown and no post totals £1,490. Some front teeth need only a filling afterwards, which brings the total down considerably.
Left uncrowned, a treated back tooth is at real risk of fracturing within a few years, which is covered in more detail in our guide to how long a root canal lasts.
How Long Does a Root Canal Take?
A single root tooth is often completed in one appointment of around an hour. A molar takes ninety minutes to two hours and is sometimes split across two visits, particularly where active infection needs to settle before the canals are sealed.
Treatment under magnification takes longer in the chair. That additional time is a large part of why the result holds.
Does a Root Canal Hurt?
Root canal treatment is carried out under local anaesthetic and feels much like having a filling. The pain people associate with root canals is the infection beforehand, not the procedure. Treatment is what removes it.
Mild tenderness for a few days afterwards is normal and settles with ordinary painkillers. If dental treatment makes you anxious, say so when you book, and our guide to why teeth become sensitive explains what different kinds of tooth pain usually point to.
What Happens if a Root Canal Fails?
Root canals can fail, though most do not. The usual signs are returning pain, tenderness when biting, or swelling around the gum months or years after treatment. Left alone, a failed root canal allows infection back into the bone around the root, and in rare cases dental infections spread further and become a medical emergency.
A failed tooth can often be treated again. Repeat root canal treatment is £850 at Bank Dental Practice, priced alongside three root treatments. It costs more than a first attempt because the previous filling material has to be removed before the canals can be reassessed, and whatever was missed originally has to be found. Success rates are lower the second time, which is the practical argument for having a complex tooth treated properly at the outset.
Is a Root Canal Worth the Cost?
For most teeth, keeping the natural tooth is the better long term decision. A natural root maintains the bone around it and holds neighbouring teeth in position, which no replacement does as effectively.
The comparison worth running is against replacement rather than against doing nothing. A root canal with a crown lands between roughly £1,440 and £1,825, whilst a single dental implant is £2,995. A routine extraction is £180 and is cheaper today, but an unreplaced gap tends to create problems as adjacent teeth drift into it.
Some teeth cannot be saved. Book a consultation to find out which situation you are in before any money is committed.
How Much is a Root Canal at a Private Dentist?
Private root canal fees at Bank Dental Practice start at £645 and are fixed by the number of roots rather than quoted as a range. The tooth is assessed and the fee confirmed at consultation, before any treatment is agreed.
Bank Dental Practice is a fully private dental practice in Prestwich, treating patients from across North Manchester including Whitefield, Bury and Salford. Treatment is carried out in house rather than referred to another site, which avoids the wait a referral adds while an infected tooth continues to deteriorate. Fees can be spread across monthly payments, and the finance calculator shows what that looks like for your figure. For how the treatment works and what happens at each appointment, see the root canal treatment page, or book a consultation to get a fixed fee for your tooth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you eat after a root canal?
Wait until the local anaesthetic has fully worn off, usually two to three hours. Keep to softer food on that side until the permanent restoration is fitted, as a temporary filling is not built for heavy chewing.
How do I know if I need a root canal?
Common signs are prolonged sensitivity to heat or cold, pain when biting, a tooth that darkens, or a small recurring lump on the gum. Some teeth needing treatment cause no pain at all and are found on an X-ray.
Can you drive after a root canal?
Yes. Local anaesthetic does not affect your ability to drive. Only sedation would, and that is arranged separately in advance if needed.
Are X-rays included in the root canal fee?
Yes. All root canal treatment fees include diagnostic X-rays and a temporary filling. The crown or permanent filling afterwards is charged separately.
How long does root canal pain last afterwards?
Mild tenderness for a few days is normal and settles with ordinary painkillers. Pain that worsens after the first week, or swelling that develops later, should be looked at rather than waited out.
