Finder makes money from featured partners, but editorial opinions are our own.
How much does a Root Canal cost in Australia?
In Australia, root canal can cost several thousand dollars without private health insurance.
Who is this cover for?
No contact details required
Compare 40+ funds
Same price as going direct
Back
Close
I'm Tim, your insurance expert.
Here to help you find the right cover for you!
Step 1/2 - About your cover
Which state do you live in?
QLD
NSW
ACT
VIC
TAS
SA
WA
NT
What's your age?
Depending on your age, you may be eligible for an
aged-based discount. This is used to estimate your
rebate.
Under 65
65 - 69
70 or older
What's your household's taxable income?
This is the combined income you and your spouse earn before tax. It's needed to calculate the correct Australian government rebate.
$93,000 and under
$93,001 to $108,000
$108,001 to $144,000
$144,001 and over
What kind of health insurance do you need?
Combined (Extras + Hospitals)
Extras
Hospital
What level of hospital coverage would you like?
You can change this at any time later.
Legend
Covered
Restricted cover, You may be partially covered for
this category.
Not covered. Optional for insurer to include.
*Prices updated October 2024, in line with Finder's database of health insurance policies. Prices reflect the cheapest available for a single individual with less than $97,000 income and living in Sydney with a $750 excess.
What extras cover do you need? (Optional)
Select as many as you want or move to the next step
Preventative & general dental
Major dental & implants
Optical
Physiotherapy
Podiatry
Non-PBS pharmaceuticals
Chiropractic
Emergency ambulance
Remedial massage
Create a Finder account to get an email copy of your results (optional)
Enter your email address
By entering your email address, you agree to create a Finder account subject to our Privacy & Cookies Policy and Terms of Service. We will send you an email to setup your password.
Why compare with us
You'll pay the same price as going direct - we don't
charge fees
We don't ask for your phone number to see prices
Hang tight - we're fetching policies just for you!
Root canal is a major dental procedure, and in Australia it can be very expensive.
Because Medicare does not cover root canal, treatment can end up costing thousands if you are not careful.
However, private health insurance can cover root canal from around $4 a week.
How much does root canal cost in Australia?
The average cost of a root canal without a crown in Australia ranges from $2,000 to $3,400, according to the 2017 national dental fee survey. The cost of root canals with a crown are even higher. This total fee generally comprises the following expenses:
Assessment by an endodontist: $100 - $200
Root canal therapy: $1,700 - $2,700
Filling of the tooth after root canal therapy: $200 - $550
These costs will usually be reduced if a general dentist rather than an endodontist performs the procedure. On average, an endodontist will charge 20% to 30% more than a general dentist. It's also worth pointing out that re-treatment could cost up to one-third more than first-time root canal treatment, so keep this in mind when budgeting for the cost of the procedure.
Finder survey: What are the main reasons Australians of different ages have dental coverage?
Response
75+ yrs
65-74 yrs
55-64 yrs
45-54 yrs
35-44 yrs
25-34 yrs
18-24 yrs
Root canals
6.82%
2.91%
2.48%
1.18%
2.7%
2.11%
1.18%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1006 Australians, December 2023
Is root canal therapy covered by health insurance?
Private health insurance can cover the cost of root canal - you'll find root canal included in 'major dental' when you look through your extras cover. While it can be found in some cheaper policies, many of them come with very low annual benefit limits of around $400 or $500, so your private health insurer will only pay for some of your root canal treatment.
If you want to keep out of pocket expenses to a minimum, your best bet is to go for a more comprehensive extras policy. When shopping for a policy, always look at the annual limits and the amount you can expect to get back after a claim. The table below compares some policies that will cover root canal therapy, from as little as $3 a week. To compare even more policies, use the free tool at the bottom of this page. All prices are based on a single individual with less than $97,000 income and living in Sydney.
Depending on your age, you may be eligible for an
aged-based discount. This is used to estimate your
rebate.
Under 65
65 - 69
70 or older
What's your household's taxable income?
This is the combined income you and your spouse earn before tax. It's needed to calculate the correct Australian government rebate.
$93,000 and under
$93,001 to $108,000
$108,001 to $144,000
$144,001 and over
What kind of health insurance do you need?
Combined (Extras + Hospitals)
Extras
Hospital
What level of hospital coverage would you like?
You can change this at any time later.
Legend
Covered
Restricted cover, You may be partially covered for
this category.
Not covered. Optional for insurer to include.
*Prices updated March 2024, in line with Finder's
database of health insurance policies. Prices are based
on a single individual with less than $93,000 income and
living in Sydney with a $750 excess.
What extras cover do you need? (Optional)
Select as many as you want or move to the next step
Preventative & general dental
Major dental & implants
Optical
Physiotherapy
Podiatry
Non-PBS pharmaceuticals
Chiropractic
Emergency ambulance
Remedial massage
Email me my results (optional)
To get a copy of your results for later, add your email below
You'll pay the same price as going direct - we don't
charge fees
We don't ask for your phone number to see prices
Hang tight - we're fetching policies just for you!
Comparing quotes from 40+ funds...
Frequently asked questions
Root canal treatment, often referred to as root canal therapy, is a procedure to save a dead tooth. In more technical terms, it can be used to save a tooth that has infected or dead pulp. Importantly, root canal therapy can prevent the infection from spreading to other areas of your mouth.
Each tooth contains pulp, which provides the nerves and nutrients that healthy teeth need. But if the pulp inside a tooth becomes infected or damaged, it may die.
During a root canal, the practitioner cleans out the infected or dead pulp from the tooth's root canal. The dentist then cleans and seals the root canal to provide protection against future infection. This includes the introduction of a permanent filling and the fitting of a crown to complete the procedure.
Your dentist will give you a local anaesthetic to ensure that the root canal treatment is painless, and after a successful procedure your tooth should function normally once again.
A root canal usually takes between 90 minutes and 3 hours, depending on the complexity of the procedure. Generally, it can be done in one appointment, though in some cases, you may need to visit the dentist or endodontist multiple times.
It's often the case that the first appointment is simply when the dentists will identify what the problem is. This usually involves an examination and possibly an x-ray. They also may give you a prescription for antibiotics to help stop infection and relieve your symptoms.
The good news is that the recovery period after root canal therapy is generally quite quick. Discomfort should be gone after a few days, so if you're still in pain after this period, then it may be necessary to contact your endodontist.
If you don't get root canal treatment, the infection can spread to other areas of the mouth. This puts you at risk of more serious dental problems and is likely to cost a lot more to fix. Left untreated, the infection can also cause a dental abscess. This puts you at risk of having a heart attack, stroke or sepsis, so requires immediate medical attention.
If you don't get root canal therapy, the only other way is to have your tooth extracted, but this is often still the less effective option. Neither fillings nor antibiotics can permanently resolve the problem either.
Gary Ross Hunter was an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio
Gary Ross's expertise
Gary Ross has written 659 Finder guides across topics including:
If you want that perfect smile, you need to be aware of what your private health fund offers you.
How likely would you be to recommend Finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Important information about this website
finder.com.au is one of Australia's leading comparison websites. We are committed to our readers and stands by our editorial principles
We try to take an open and transparent approach and provide a broad-based comparison service. However, you should be aware that while we are an independently owned service, our comparison service does not include all providers or all products available in the market.
Some product issuers may provide products or offer services through multiple brands, associated companies or different labeling arrangements. This can make it difficult for consumers to compare alternatives or identify the companies behind the products. However, we aim to provide information to enable consumers to understand these issues.
We make money by featuring products on our site. Compensation received from the providers featured on our site can influence which products we write about as well as where and how products appear on our page, but the order or placement of these products does not influence our assessment or opinions of them, nor is it an endorsement or recommendation for them.
Products marked as 'Top Pick', 'Promoted' or 'Advertisement' are prominently displayed either as a result of a commercial advertising arrangement or to highlight a particular product, provider or feature. Finder may receive remuneration from the Provider if you click on the related link, purchase or enquire about the product. Finder's decision to show a 'promoted' product is neither a recommendation that the product is appropriate for you nor an indication that the product is the best in its category. We encourage you to use the tools and information we provide to compare your options.
Where our site links to particular products or displays 'Go to site' buttons, we may receive a commission, referral fee or payment when you click on those buttons or apply for a product. You can learn more about how we make money.
When products are grouped in a table or list, the order in which they are initially sorted may be influenced by a range of factors including price, fees and discounts; commercial partnerships; product features; and brand popularity. We provide tools so you can sort and filter these lists to highlight features that matter to you.
Please read our website terms of use and privacy policy for more information about our services and our approach to privacy.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
