Root canal treatment in Rugby · the honest guide
How much does a root canal cost? Rugby prices, and what they include
Written by Dr Tim Bond, principal dentist at Rugby Smiles, postgraduate diploma in endodontics, University of Warwick · Reviewed September 2026
The short answer: £450 for a front or premolar tooth, £550 for a molar, with the price in writing before we start. Dental Plan members pay £405 or £495. If the tooth will need a crown afterwards, that is £700 and it is in the plan from day one, not a surprise at the end.
Root canal prices in the UK run from £76.60 on the NHS, if you can get an appointment, to £1,400 privately for a molar with a specialist. Ours sit below most private practices for a reason: we do a lot of them, we tell you honestly when a tooth is not worth saving, and we refer the genuinely complex ones rather than charging specialist prices for everything. Here is the whole picture.
In pain now? Call 01788 579 577 for a £50 same-day emergency slot. Root canal treatment in Rugby.
Our prices, by tooth
Front and premolar teeth
£450
- One or two canals, usually one visit of 60 to 90 minutes
- Dental Plan members £405
- Front teeth often need only a filling afterwards
- Price in writing before we start
Molars
£550
- Three or four canals, sometimes two visits
- Dental Plan members £495
- Usually needs a crown afterwards, £700, planned from day one
- Complex anatomy is referred to a specialist, honestly
The difference between the two prices is anatomy. A front tooth has one canal; a molar has three or four, sometimes curved, and takes longer to clean and seal. Both prices include the assessment X-ray, the anaesthetic, the treatment and the temporary filling. 0% finance is available over 12 months.
Why UK prices vary so much
Private root canal treatment with a general dentist is typically £600 to £1,200 for a molar, and £900 to £1,500 with a specialist endodontist. London adds a premium. The NHS charges £76.60 for the same treatment as a Band 2 procedure, but NHS appointments for root canals are scarce and many practices refer them on. Our honest guide to NHS options in Rugby explains why.
“Some root canals genuinely need a specialist: unusual anatomy, re-treatments of an old root filling. If yours does, we say so and point you to the right person rather than have a go at it ourselves.”
Dr Tim Bond, principal dentist, Rugby Smiles
The crown: the cost people forget
A root-treated back tooth is out of pain but more fragile, and the usual way it is lost is a cusp cracking off. A crown at £700 cups the whole tooth and spreads the bite across it, which is why crowned root-treated teeth reliably outlast uncrowned ones. Front teeth take lighter forces and often manage with a filling. Do I need a crown after a root canal? goes through it, and whichever yours needs is written in the plan before treatment starts.
Root canal versus the alternatives, on cost
An extraction is cheaper on the day, from £160. Then there is a gap, and filling it properly costs more than the root canal would have: an implant from £3,000, a bridge, or a denture. Keeping your own tooth is almost always the cheapest strong option over ten years. Root canal or extraction? sets out when each is right.
What the price includes, and what it does not
- Included: the assessment, the X-rays needed to plan and check the work, the anaesthetic, cleaning and sealing the canals over one or two visits, and the temporary filling.
- Included: a review if the tooth is slow to settle.
- Not included: the permanent filling or the crown afterwards, quoted separately in the same written plan so you see the whole cost before you start.
- Not included: a £50 emergency assessment if you first came in as an emergency, which is charged on that day and gets you out of pain.
Molars cost more because they have three or four canals, sometimes curved, and take longer to clean and seal. Some need two visits with medicine sealed inside between them. None of that changes the written price.
Re-treatment, and the specialist question
A root canal done years ago can occasionally fail: a missed canal, a new crack, or a leaking filling letting bacteria back in. Re-treating it is more difficult than the first time, because the old filling has to come out, and it is one of the cases we usually refer to a specialist endodontist rather than attempt ourselves. Specialist re-treatment runs £900 to £1,500 in the UK. We tell you honestly if yours is one of those before you spend anything here.
If it starts as an emergency
Most root canals begin with a toothache. The £50 emergency assessment finds the tooth, takes the X-ray, and gets you out of pain, often by opening the tooth and dressing it, which is the first stage of the root canal. The rest is completed at a planned visit, and the written price for the full treatment and any crown is given at that first appointment. Toothache: what to do tonight covers the hours before you can be seen.
Questions people ask
How much is a root canal privately in the UK?
Typically £600 to £1,200 for a molar with a general dentist, more with a specialist. Rugby Smiles charges £450 for front and premolar teeth and £550 for molars, price in writing first.
Is the crown included in the root canal price?
No. A crown is £700 and is quoted in your written plan from the start if your tooth needs one. Front teeth often do not.
Can I get a root canal on the NHS?
Yes in principle, as a Band 2 treatment at £76.60, but NHS root canal appointments are scarce and often referred on. If you cannot get one, ours is £450 to £550.
What do Dental Plan members pay?
£405 for a front or premolar tooth and £495 for a molar, the plan's 10% off treatment.
Can I pay monthly?
Yes, 0% finance over 12 months subject to status, about £38 to £46 a month for the root canal alone.
What if the root canal does not work?
Success rates are high, around nine in ten, and higher still with a crown. If a tooth does fail, we tell you the options honestly, including re-treatment by a specialist or extraction and replacement.
Why does a molar root canal cost more than a front tooth?
A front tooth has one canal. A molar has three or four, often curved, and takes longer to clean and seal, sometimes over two visits.
How much does root canal re-treatment cost?
Re-treating an old root filling is specialist work in most cases, typically £900 to £1,500 in the UK. We refer those honestly rather than attempt them at our prices.
Your price in writing, before anything starts
An assessment with an X-ray tells you whether the tooth is worth saving, what it will cost in writing, and whether it needs a crown afterwards. If the answer is extraction, we say so.
Read next: does it hurt? · do I need a crown? · root canal treatment in Rugby · Rugby Smiles Dental Clinic · 3 Newbold Road, Rugby CV21 2LQ · 01788 579 577