Updated May 2026
NHS Root Canal Cost: £76.60 (Band 2, April 2026)
An NHS root canal is £76.60 from 1 April 2026 (Band 2 charge), same price whether on a front tooth (one canal) or a molar (three or four canals). Same price whether it takes 30 minutes or 2 hours. The catch: not every NHS dentist offers molar root canal as an NHS treatment.
BAND 2 CHARGE (APRIL 2026)
£76.60
Same price for any tooth, any number of canals.
£76.60 is one Band 2 charge that covers the root canal procedure including local anaesthetic, the rubber dam, cleaning and shaping the canals, irrigation, filling the canals with gutta-percha, and the temporary or permanent filling that closes the tooth at the end.
If a crown is needed afterwards (often the case for molars), that is a separate Band 3 charge unless planned in the same course of treatment.
NHS vs private root canal cost by tooth
| Tooth | Typical canals | NHS cost | Private cost (typical) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incisor (front tooth) | 1 canal | £76.60 | £300-600 |
| Canine | 1 canal | £76.60 | £350-650 |
| Premolar | 1-2 canals | £76.60 | £400-700 |
| Upper molar | 3-4 canals | £76.60 | £600-1,000 |
| Lower molar | 3 canals | £76.60 | £500-900 |
| Re-treatment of existing root canal | Varies | £76.60 | £600-1,200 |
Private ranges sourced from Which? UK dental treatment cost guides and Bupa Dental Care published price tiers.
The NHS molar root canal access issue
NHS practices are paid through Units of Dental Activity (UDAs). A root canal is worth the same UDA count regardless of how long the case takes. A complex four-canal molar root canal can absorb two hours of surgery time for the same payment as a 30-minute front-tooth case. The economics push some practices to offer extraction over root canal for difficult molars.
If your NHS dentist proposes extraction for a molar that could be saved with root canal, you have three options:
- Accept the NHS extraction (£76.60 Band 2) and consider a denture, bridge, or implant later.
- Ask your dentist for an NHS endodontic referral to a specialist. Acceptance varies by Integrated Care Board.
- Pay privately for the molar root canal (£500-1,000 typical), potentially at the same practice as a private patient.
For front teeth and premolars, NHS root canal is routinely offered and the £76.60 Band 2 charge applies as expected.
Root canal plus crown: planning the cost
A molar root canal usually needs a crown afterwards to prevent the weakened tooth from cracking. If you and your dentist agree the crown at the same time as the root canal, the crown work falls into the same course of treatment and the total upgrades from Band 2 (£76.60) to Band 3 (£332.10) once.
If the root canal is done first and the crown is decided much later (a new examination, new treatment plan), the crown is a separate Band 3 course at £332.10 on its own.
Total typical NHS cost for molar root canal plus crown: £332.10 if planned together, £408.70 (£76.60 + £332.10) if done as two separate courses. Private equivalent: £1,000-2,200 combined.
Free root canal: who qualifies
Root canal treatment is free on the NHS for under-18s, under-19s in qualifying education, pregnant women and new mothers (Maternity Exemption Certificate), and people on qualifying benefits or holding an HC2 certificate. The £76.60 Band 2 charge does not apply. See the full free treatment guide.