A root canal runs $776 to $1,911 on a front tooth and $1,030 to $2,471 on a molar, and the crown that usually follows is quoted separately and often costs more than the root canal did. On the practice itself, one written exam is accepted toward licensure in every US state and territory, and it has never licensed anyone on its own. What varies between states is not the dentistry. It is who else is allowed to treat you.
| Service | Typical |
|---|---|
| Root canal, front toothNational range | $776 to $1,911 per tooth |
| Root canal, bicuspidNational range | $757 to $1,798 per tooth |
| Root canal, molarNational range | $1,030 to $2,471 per tooth |
Ranges last checked September 2026. They come down automatically when they are due to be rechecked.
Every figure above comes from a named source we can link to, with the date we last checked it. We publish ranges rather than single prices because a range is what a provider will actually give you: the same job moves with what is being worked on, the materials, how hard it is to get at and how busy the trade is locally. Treat these as the order of magnitude to expect before you call, not as a quote.
The figures here are national. Where a source publishes figures state by state, the state pages carry that local figure instead of this one. We do not scale a national number by a multiplier of our own invention.
Every range carries a review date. When that date passes the number comes down until it is rechecked, rather than sitting here undated.
The Integrated National Board Dental Examination is run by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations, and in the Commission's own words it "is accepted in all U.S. states and territories as fulfilling all or part of the written examination requirements for licensure."
All or part. That phrase carries the whole structure. Passing it satisfies the written requirement and nothing else. Each state then adds a clinical examination, which may be its own or one it recognizes from a regional or national testing agency, and a jurisprudence examination on that state's own law. A dentist licensed in one state does not automatically hold a license in the next one. Before any of that, the degree has to come from a school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Not the dentistry. Who else is allowed to treat you.
Some states license dental therapists, a profession that can diagnose within a supervising dentist's authorization and perform simple extractions of erupted posterior primary teeth. Some let a hygienist with an additional permit work without a dentist present, in nursing homes, correctional facilities, community clinics and schools. Some license denturists to fit dentures directly for the public without going through a dental office at all.
Oregon does all three, which makes it a useful place to see how far the boundaries move. Most states do none of them.
State licensing boards publish license status, and what they publish stops well short of what a patient wants to know. In Oregon, for one, the existence of a complaint is confidential and only final disciplinary action becomes public. A clean lookup is not the same as no complaints. It means no case has been closed against them with a public finding.
Ask for the treatment plan in writing, with each procedure and its cost on its own line, before anything is booked. A root canal quoted without the crown that follows it is a number that will change, and the crown often costs more than the root canal.
Where a tooth needs a root canal, ask whether a general dentist or an endodontist will do it, because that choice moves the price and it is a choice, not a fact. Ask the same about retreatment: a second root canal on the same tooth is a different and usually costlier procedure.
If you are uninsured, ask what the cash price is rather than the list price, and ask before treatment rather than after. Ask whether the practice has a payment plan and whether it charges interest.
Check the license, and know what you have checked. It confirms the person is licensed today and that no public disciplinary finding stands against them. It does not tell you whether complaints have been made.
Nationally $776 to $1,911 for a front tooth and $1,030 to $2,471 for a molar, per tooth, for the procedure itself. Molars sit at the back, are harder to reach and have more canals to treat, which is why they cost more.
No. The crown that usually follows is quoted separately and often costs more than the root canal did. Examination and imaging are also separate, as is an extraction if the tooth cannot be saved.
Not automatically. One written examination, the INBDE, is accepted in all US states and territories toward the written requirement, but each state adds its own clinical examination and a jurisprudence examination on its own law.
No. Boards publish license status and final disciplinary action. In Oregon, for example, the existence of a complaint is confidential and only a final disciplinary action becomes public. A clean record means no case has been closed against them with a public finding, which is a narrower statement than it looks.