How Much Does a Root Canal Cost in Australia?
The short answer.
On 2023-24 health fund claims, treating one canal averaged $759 and a three-canal back tooth up to $1,692 (our sums of Private Healthcare Australia's item averages). Funds paid about 40%. X-rays, a build-up and the crown most back teeth need are charged separately.
Root canal treatment is priced by the canal, and a tooth can have up to four. On 2023-24 health fund claims, the average charge was $759 for a tooth with one canal and $1,692 for a three-canal back tooth whose nerve had been removed at an earlier visit. If a dentist has just told you a tooth needs root canal treatment, you may have paid for that first visit already and be holding a quote for the rest.
What a root canal costs in Australia
On 2023-24 claims, one canal averaged $759 and each extra canal added $348, according to Private Healthcare Australia (PHA), the peak body for health funds. Removing the nerve first added $237.
Root canal treatment by number of canals: our sums of PHA’s 2023-24 averages
| Canals | Items | Average charge | Funds paid | Patient paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | 415, 417 | $759 | $319 | $442 |
| One, nerve removed first | 419, 415, 417 | $996 | $424 | $574 |
| Two | 415, 416, 417, 418 | $1,107 | $458 | $651 |
| Two, nerve removed first | 419, 415, 416, 417, 418 | $1,344 | $563 | $783 |
| Three | 415, 416 ×2, 417, 418 ×2 | $1,455 | $597 | $860 |
| Three, nerve removed first | 419, 415, 416 ×2, 417, 418 ×2 | $1,692 | $702 | $992 |
Source: Private Healthcare Australia, Typical prices of dental care, 2023-24 claims. These are published Australian figures, not Dental Spot’s fees.
We built each row by adding PHA’s average for each item. PHA rounds its averages to the dollar, so funds paid and patient paid can add up to a dollar or two more or less than the charge. A fourth canal adds another $348.
The first canal has its own pair of items and each extra canal a cheaper pair, so the number of canals sets the price. Front teeth usually have one canal; back teeth have up to four. No Australian source publishes an average by tooth type, which is why the table counts canals. Funds paid for more extra canals than first canals in 2023-24 (161,338 against 137,341), so many of the teeth they paid for had more than one.
PHA’s figures cover only treatment claimed on private health insurance, across Australia, and count general dentists and dentists who only do root canal treatment together. PHA hasn’t published a newer edition, so these are the newest public averages for each item. No source publishes a Sydney average.
What’s on a root canal quote, and what’s billed separately
A root canal quote lists each step as its own item, numbered in the Australian Dental Association’s (ADA) schedule, so two quotes for the same tooth compare only item by item.
Root canal items, 2023-24 averages
| Step | Item | Average charge | Funds paid | Patient paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Removing the nerve, often at an emergency visit | 419 | $237 | $105 | $132 |
| Cleaning and shaping the first canal | 415 | $385 | $164 | $222 |
| Cleaning and shaping each extra canal | 416 | $176 | $72 | $104 |
| Filling and sealing the first canal | 417 | $374 | $155 | $220 |
| Filling and sealing each extra canal | 418 | $172 | $67 | $105 |
Source: Private Healthcare Australia, Typical prices of dental care, 2023-24 claims. These are published Australian figures, not Dental Spot’s fees.
Other items can sit on the same quote.
Other items you may see on a root canal quote
| Item | Item number | Average charge (PHA 2023-24) |
|---|---|---|
| Examination, new or existing patient | 011 or 012 | $66 or $61 |
| X-ray | 022 | $45 each |
| 3D scan (CBCT), if needed | 026 | $148 |
| Extra visit to clean and dress the canals | 455 | No PHA figure |
| Finding and opening a blocked (calcified) canal, per canal, per appointment | 445 | No PHA figure |
| Removing an old root filling, per canal | 451 | No PHA figure |
| Inhaled sedation, per 30 minutes | 943 | $93 |
The build-up and crown most back teeth need afterwards are separate items too, covered in the next section.
Every reason a quote runs higher shows up as an item: more canals, extra visits, a 3D scan, sedation, or an old root filling to remove. Treating a tooth a second time can also add removing a post (452) or a broken instrument (453). Some teeth have curved, narrow or blocked canals that need more time and equipment, and your dentist may refer you to a dentist who only does root canal treatment. That dentist sets their own fee and quotes separately.
Some practices quote per visit and others per tooth. Neither figure compares with the other until both list their items, and healthdirect’s advice is to “ask for the item numbers then contact a few dentists to compare prices”.
The crown afterwards
A back tooth usually needs a crown after root canal treatment, and at PHA’s averages the build-up and crown cost more than the root canal treatment itself. A front tooth can sometimes be restored with a filling instead.
One back tooth, root canal to crown: our sum of PHA’s 2023-24 averages
| Item | Average charge | Funds paid | Patient paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root canal treatment, three canals, nerve removed first | $1,692 | $702 | $992 |
| Build-up before a crown (627) | $254 | $114 | $140 |
| Ceramic crown (613) | $1,703 | $725 | $978 |
| Total | $3,649 | $1,541 | $2,110 |
Source: Private Healthcare Australia, Typical prices of dental care, 2023-24 claims. These are published Australian figures, not Dental Spot’s fees.
The research links the crown to keeping the tooth. In a US study of 203 root-filled teeth, teeth left without a crown were lost at six times the rate of crowned teeth, after allowing for tooth type and decay (Aquilino and Caplan, 2002). The study covers one dental school and teeth treated from 1985 to 1987. A 2010 review of the research ranked a crown after treatment first among four factors linked to keeping the tooth (Ng, Mann and Gulabivala).
Our crown cost guide compares crown materials and what funds pay towards each.
What your health fund pays back
Across all 2023-24 claims, funds paid 39% to 44% of the charge for each root canal item (PHA), but what yours pays depends on your policy. Three published policies show the spread.
Root canal benefits on three 2026 policies
| Policy | Benefit per item | Annual limit it draws on | Wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| ahm family extras (1 April 2026) | 415: $127.50; 417: $120.55 | Complex dental: $600 in your first 5 years of membership, rising to $900 from 20 years | 12 months |
| HIF Essential Extras (1 January 2026) | 417: $129.15 | Major dental: one $1,250 limit shared with general dental and orthodontics | 12 months |
| HIF Top Extras (1 January 2026) | 417: $155 | Major dental: $1,500 | 12 months |
Which limit an item draws on matters as much as the benefit. On ahm family extras, the root canal treatment uses a complex dental limit, separate from the major dental limit the crown uses. On HIF Essential Extras, one $1,250 limit covers check-ups, the root canal treatment and the crown, so one back tooth can use up the year’s limit. Ask your fund which limit each item number falls under.
Insurers can set any waiting period for extras cover, says the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, so check yours if you joined recently.
If the whole tooth would go over your limit, ask whether the work can be done in stages, so the cost is spread across more than one year of fund limits. Keep the gap short. healthdirect says: “If you delay getting the final crown or filling after a root canal, there is a higher chance of your tooth breaking or needing to be removed.”
Is it cheaper to take the tooth out?
On the day, yes. In 2023-24 a simple extraction (311) averaged $215, with patients paying $120, and a surgical extraction (324), where bone is removed or the tooth divided, averaged $491 (PHA).
Taking it out leaves a gap, though. Filling it later means a bridge, an implant or a denture, and our implant cost guide sets out what an implant costs.
Most root-filled teeth stay. A 2024 review found about 87 in 100 root-filled back teeth were still in place after 8 to 20 years (Patel and others). “Still in place” means the tooth was there, not that it never had problems.
Taking it out can be the better choice when the tooth is cracked below the gum or there isn’t enough of it left, and a dentist can tell you whether yours is one. Our comparison of implants and root canal treatment weighs the two in full.
Frequently asked questions
Does root canal treatment hurt?
The tooth is numbed first, so for most people it feels much like having a filling. It can be tender for a few days afterwards. If you’re anxious, ask about sedation.
How many appointments will I need?
Often two or more, and your dentist tells you how many before you start. Each visit is billed for different items, so ask for one quote that covers the whole tooth, crown included.
Is root canal treatment covered by Medicare?
No, for most adults: healthdirect says the Australian Government does not generally cover the costs of dental services. Adults with a Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card can use public dental services, and the Child Dental Benefits Schedule covers root canal treatment for eligible children.
What happens if I don’t have root canal treatment?
healthdirect says that without treatment, your tooth might need to be removed. Having it removed is also a choice you can make instead.
What if root canal treatment doesn’t work?
Sometimes infection stays or comes back, and the tooth is then treated again or taken out. Treating it again adds items such as removing the old root filling (451), and PHA publishes no average for them.
Can a tooth still decay after root canal treatment?
Yes. The canals are sealed, but the rest of the tooth can still decay, so clean it along the gum line each day like your other teeth.
Talk to us
Fees depend on the treatment you need, so we give you an accurate quote at your consultation, before anything starts. Your quote lists the item numbers, so your fund can tell you its benefit before you decide. If the tooth will need a crown, ask us to include it in your quote. If you’re weighing keeping the tooth against taking it out, both are reasonable choices. We’ll explain each for your tooth, with the costs. Any of our dentists can do your root canal treatment, and Dr James Pomfret and Dr Amanda Zhong both enjoy it. Bring your fund card and we’ll claim through HICAPS when you pay, so you pay only the gap. If the tooth is swollen or aching badly now, see our emergency dentist page. Read about root canal treatment at Dental Spot.
Sources
- Typical prices of dental care (2023-24) (another site), Private Healthcare Australia, October 2024
- Root canal treatment (another site), healthdirect, last reviewed February 2025
- Dental crown procedure (another site), healthdirect, last reviewed February 2025
- Cost of dental care (another site), healthdirect
- The Australian Schedule of Dental Services and Glossary, 13th edition (another site), Australian Dental Association
- Relationship between crown placement and the survival of endodontically treated teeth (another site), Aquilino and Caplan, Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, 2002
- Tooth survival following non-surgical root canal treatment: a systematic review (another site), Ng, Mann and Gulabivala, International Endodontic Journal, 2010
- The tooth survival of non-surgical root-filled posterior teeth: a systematic review and meta-analysis (another site), Patel and others, International Endodontic Journal, 2024
- Waiting periods and exemptions (another site), Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
- Fund benefit examples: ahm family extras (another site) (1 April 2026), HIF Essential Extras (another site) and HIF Top Extras (another site) (1 January 2026)
This guide is general information, not advice about your own teeth. Your dentist can tell you what applies to you, including the risks of any treatment.
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
