The purpose of a root canal is to save teeth that have dead or infected pulp inside them, and to stop the spread of the infection. Because it is quite a complex procedure many patients have concerns about root canal treatment cost but when you weigh up the cost of the treatment against losing a tooth it certainly is worth the investment.
What Is Root Canal Treatment?
Each of your teeth has a pulp inside and the objective of the pulp is to feed your teeth with nutrients and supply nerves. If there is damage or an infection in the pulp it could die. During a root canal your dentist will clean out any diseased pulp, reshape the tooth canal and close it up again to protect it. After this is done a crown will be placed over the top to make the tooth stronger.
In years gone by, teeth with damaged pulp were extracted because it was believed they were beyond saving. Thanks to advances in modern dentistry today however, your dentist has a good chance of saving a natural tooth using root canal therapy.
What Does Root Canal Therapy Cost?
There are a number of variables involved in root canals and the cost is always subject to a professional assessment by your dentist. Your treatment cost will be based on the number of root canals you need filled, and whether you need a crown or not.
But in the interests of budgeting we have found some average figures for you to take a look at:
Smile.com.au cites the results of its National Dental Fee Survey from 2017, which provides an average cost of $2000 to $3400 per procedure without a crown. Comparatively a root canal performed on a molar with three canals will cost between $2760 and $4760, whether you require a crown or not.
Finder.com.au provides a similar price range, recommending that you budget between $100 and $200 for an endodontic assessment, a further $1700 – $2700 for the root canal therapy and around $450 to fill your tooth after the root canal.
Am I A Candidate for Root Canal Treatment?
If you have diseased pulp caused by tooth decay, trauma to the teeth, or chipped and cracked teeth you may be a candidate for a root canal.
Some of the symptoms that point to diseased tooth pulp can include pain and discomfort in the gums, swelling and inflammation and tooth discolouration.
What Are The Benefits Of Root Canal Therapy?
If you have ever had very severe toothache you may find yourself wishing for it all to stop. Often patients believe the end of the nightmare is to remove the tooth. They may also see a quote for root canal therapy but believe that an extraction is the cheapest solution.
But experienced dentists know that simply extracting a tooth is not always the best long term solution for the patient. A missing tooth still needs to be replaced, otherwise it can cause drifting which makes the other teeth in your mouth move around and shift out of place.
Saving your natural tooth should always be first priority so Top Health Dental will first administer a course of antibiotics to clear up the infection, and then assess the condition of your tooth to determine the best way forward for your needs.
Will Health Insurance Cover Your Root Canal?
In order to have cover for endodontics your policy needs to have high level extras cover otherwise it is likely to be excluded. Root canal treatments are considered major dental procedures.
To find out more about the cost of root canal treatment and whether your tooth can be saved please call our practice to speak to a professional today: (02) 8776 3232
