Root canal costs
How much does a root canal cost in Melbourne?
At Y3 Smiles Dental in Broadmeadows, root canal treatment runs from $1,350 up to $2,200, depending on how many canals the tooth has. A crown afterwards is quoted separately. You get a written, itemised quote before treatment begins, and we claim your health fund on the spot through HICAPS.
What does the fee actually cover?
The root canal fee covers the treatment inside the tooth: opening it, cleaning and shaping every canal, settling the infection and sealing the canals so bacteria cannot get back in. That is the part that saves the tooth, and it is charged by the canal rather than by the tooth. It does not cover the crown or other final restoration that rebuilds the outside of the tooth afterwards, because not every tooth needs one. For what the treatment itself involves, see root canal treatment.
What changes the total?
Two people quoted for the same treatment can pay different totals, because a tooth is not a fixed job. The main things that move it are:
- How many canals the tooth has. This is the main one. A front tooth usually has a single canal; a back tooth can have four, and each is cleaned, shaped and sealed in turn. The x-ray tells us before we quote.
- Whether the tooth needs a crown afterwards. This is usually the largest part of the total, and it is a separate decision made once the tooth has settled.
- How the tooth is rebuilt. A tooth with plenty of sound structure left can sometimes be restored with a filling instead.
- Whether you came in as an emergency first. If pain brought you in before treatment was planned, that visit has its own consultation fee.
- X-rays. Root canal treatment needs images at the start, sometimes during, and one at the end to check the seal.
- Re-treatment. A tooth that has been root treated before, elsewhere or here, takes longer to clean out and is quoted on its own.
Prices are a guide and shown as a starting point. Your final fee depends on your clinical needs and is confirmed in a written quote before treatment begins.
What do the related treatments cost?
These are starting fees at Y3 Smiles Dental. Your dentist confirms the figure for your tooth in writing before anything begins.
| Treatment | Fee | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Root canal treatment | From $1,350 to $2,200 | Where it sits in the range depends on how many canals the tooth has |
| Emergency consultation | From $65 | When the pain brings you in first, before treatment is planned |
| Crown after root canal treatment | From $1,600 | Usually recommended for back teeth once the tooth has settled |
| Larger filling | From $300 | Where enough sound tooth is left to rebuild without a crown |
| Simple extraction | From $250 | If the tooth cannot be saved |
| Internal bleaching | Quoted after a consultation | For a root-treated tooth that has darkened |
Which item numbers might be on your invoice?
Health funds work out what they pay from the item numbers in the Australian Schedule of Dental Services, so knowing them lets you ring your fund before you commit. Root canal treatment is billed as several items rather than one, which is why the invoice looks longer than you might expect:
- 022 intraoral x-ray, per image
- 419 emergency removal of the nerve to relieve pain, where that was the first visit
- 415 cleaning and shaping the first canal, and 416 for each additional canal
- 417 sealing the first canal, and 418 for each additional canal
- 613 a full non-metallic crown, if one is placed afterwards
The per-canal items are why a back tooth costs more than a front one: each extra canal adds its own cleaning and sealing item to the invoice. Ask us for the likely item numbers for your tooth and we will write them down.
How does your health fund help?
Root canal treatment sits under major dental with most funds, and some policies only cover it at a higher level of extras or after a waiting period. We claim on the spot through HICAPS, so you pay the difference on the day rather than claiming it back yourself. What comes back depends on your fund, your level of cover, your annual limits and any waiting period, so check with them using the item numbers above. We accept all health funds that use HICAPS. See health funds at Y3 Smiles Dental.
Can you spread the cost?
Yes. Afterpay Pay in 4, humm and TLC are available, each subject to its own approval and terms. humm and TLC arrange credit, so fees apply and interest may apply. How each one works is on our payment options page. If money is the reason you are putting the tooth off, say so when you call. Staging the work is usually better than losing the tooth.
Is saving the tooth worth it compared with taking it out?
Removing the tooth is the cheaper option on the day, and sometimes it is the right one. What it does not include is the gap. Teeth either side can tilt, the opposite tooth can drift down, and replacing the tooth later with a bridge or an implant costs several times what removing it did. Root canal treatment plus a crown costs more up front and keeps the tooth you already have. Your dentist will put both options in front of you with their fees, including the cost of doing nothing, so the decision is yours with the full picture. Our dental costs page explains how quotes work at Y3 Smiles Dental.
Why is a cheaper quote sometimes revised?
A quote given without an x-ray, or before the tooth is opened, is a guess. The number of canals, a canal that curves sharply, or a root that has been treated before can all change the work needed. We would rather tell you at the start that a tooth is complicated than quote low and revise it halfway through. If anything changes once treatment has started, we stop, explain and re-quote before going on.
Other questions people ask
Why does the fee change from one tooth to another?
Because the work is counted in canals, not teeth. A front tooth usually has one canal. A back tooth can have four, and every one of them has to be cleaned, shaped and sealed separately. That is why the fee runs from $1,350 up to $2,200, and why we quote your tooth once the x-ray has shown how many canals it has.
Is the crown included in the root canal fee?
No. The crown is quoted separately, from $1,600, because not every tooth needs one. Your dentist will tell you at the start whether yours is likely to.
Can I get a written quote before I commit?
Yes. You get a written, itemised quote with the item numbers on it, so you can ring your health fund and ask what they pay before you decide. The quote is valid for 30 days.
What if I can only afford part of it now?
Tell us. Settling the infection is the urgent part, and the final restoration can sometimes follow once you are ready, within the time your dentist says is safe for the tooth. We will be clear about what waiting risks.
Does Medicare pay for root canal treatment?
Not for adults in a private clinic. Eligible children can have root canal treatment covered under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, which we bulk bill.
Do you charge more for a second visit?
No. The quote covers the treatment through to sealing the canals, however many visits that takes for your tooth. Anything outside it, such as a crown, is quoted before it starts.