How much does a molar root canal cost?

The typical molar root canal cost is $786 (the median negotiated price), with the middle half of practices charging $684 to $897.

Root canal, molar. Root canal treatment on a molar, the most complex kind, with up to four canals.

Median negotiated

$786

observed midpoint

Middle half

$684 – $897

25th to 75th percentile

Practices

25,495

in the sample

Est. self-pay

$786 – $996

estimate, not observed

Molar root canal cost nationally

Prices cluster fairly tightly, from $684 to $897 across the middle half of the market, so shopping around saves less here than on larger treatments.

Observed dataObserved negotiated rates. Every figure here is a real negotiated amount taken from payer files published under the federal Transparency in Coverage rule. These are what a dental plan pays a contracted practice - not a cash price.

Estimated self-payEstimated self-pay range, not an observation. We do not have observed cash prices, and we will not present a modelled number as though we did. This range is the upper half of the same observed negotiated distribution, shown because an uninsured patient generally pays at or above the highest negotiated tier. Treat it as a budgeting aid and ask any practice for a written quote.

What it covers

Root canal treatment on a molar, the most complex kind, with up to four canals.

What moves the price

The most variable root canal: canal count, curvature and whether a specialist with a microscope does the work.

Normally included

Cleaning, shaping and sealing all canals in the tooth.

Usually billed separately

The crown, which a molar almost always needs afterwards to avoid fracturing.

How plans treat it

Covered, but the root canal plus crown together often exhausts an annual maximum.

Molar root canal cost by state

Each bar is one state's observed distribution: the block is the middle half of the market, the vertical rule is the median, and the line reaching right runs out to the 90th percentile. The dashed line is the national median, so you can see at a glance which states sit above or below it.

Root canal, molar: observed negotiated price by state

Middle half (25th–75th)MedianNational median

The same figures as a table, lowest median first. Only states with at least 15 practices are listed.

Negotiated columns are observed. The self-pay column is an estimate derived from the upper half of the same distribution — see methodology. Column headings sort the table.
State	Negotiated range Observed	Median	Practices (n)	Est. self-pay Estimated
District of Columbia	$525 – $835	$696	145	$696 – $978
Indiana	$650 – $842	$712	454	$712 – $924
Iowa	$642 – $811	$714	206	$714 – $888
Alabama	$626 – $855	$720	306	$720 – $986
Michigan	$658 – $872	$742	663	$742 – $969
North Dakota	$631 – $799	$742	32	$742 – $980
West Virginia	$664 – $820	$743	149	$743 – $857
Utah	$675 – $872	$745	303	$745 – $1,001
Missouri	$674 – $894	$745	476	$745 – $975
Pennsylvania	$649 – $852	$749	1,324	$749 – $938
Louisiana	$630 – $854	$752	323	$752 – $990
Arkansas	$680 – $811	$753	195	$753 – $929
Tennessee	$671 – $864	$758	560	$758 – $955
Nebraska	$665 – $875	$758	186	$758 – $997
Oklahoma	$677 – $880	$767	323	$767 – $982
Texas	$691 – $872	$774	2,252	$774 – $966
Illinois	$684 – $882	$774	960	$774 – $984
Ohio	$655 – $881	$775	884	$775 – $986
Kansas	$667 – $896	$776	251	$776 – $990
New York	$690 – $880	$777	1,633	$777 – $979
New Mexico	$660 – $892	$778	158	$778 – $978
Kentucky	$654 – $950	$778	435	$778 – $986
Mississippi	$690 – $916	$778	206	$778 – $981
New Jersey	$661 – $900	$788	996	$788 – $999
Idaho	$684 – $849	$790	152	$790 – $963
Delaware	$712 – $883	$791	52	$791 – $974
Florida	$665 – $897	$792	1,683	$792 – $1,016
Washington	$716 – $900	$792	617	$792 – $1,015
Virginia	$673 – $922	$794	733	$794 – $993
Oregon	$708 – $928	$797	274	$797 – $1,030
Maryland	$684 – $924	$798	567	$798 – $1,063
Massachusetts	$708 – $896	$800	745	$800 – $994
Colorado	$684 – $872	$801	569	$801 – $951
Minnesota	$702 – $925	$802	311	$802 – $1,046
Arizona	$710 – $919	$804	608	$804 – $959
North Carolina	$704 – $904	$806	679	$806 – $1,052
Connecticut	$726 – $946	$808	348	$808 – $1,048
South Carolina	$696 – $895	$811	292	$811 – $990
California	$743 – $938	$812	2,707	$812 – $1,040
Nevada	$697 – $932	$812	278	$812 – $1,050
Hawaii	$712 – $885	$812	56	$812 – $979
Vermont	$685 – $970	$812	18	$812 – $1,047
Georgia	$692 – $921	$814	668	$814 – $990
New Hampshire	$728 – $958	$829	55	$829 – $1,100
Rhode Island	$738 – $945	$832	50	$832 – $1,072
South Dakota	$698 – $980	$843	36	$843 – $1,043
Wisconsin	$749 – $953	$844	343	$844 – $1,040
Wyoming	$728 – $894	$854	28	$854 – $930
Montana	$744 – $1,014	$864	58	$864 – $1,071
Puerto Rico	$771 – $1,050	$924	29	$924 – $1,088
Alaska	$762 – $1,064	$933	40	$933 – $1,122
Maine	$744 – $1,104	$966	52	$966 – $1,121

Related treatments

Root canal, front tooth Root canal, premolar

Root canals guide · All treatments · How this was measured

Common questions

What should I ask the practice before agreeing?

What is the all-in cost for the root canal and the crown together?

Is this the price I will pay without insurance?

No. The $684 to $897 range above is what dental plans have negotiated with contracted practices. If you are uninsured you will generally be quoted at or above the top of that range. We show an estimated self-pay range, clearly marked as an estimate, because we do not observe cash prices — see the methodology.

What is not included in this price?

The crown, which a molar almost always needs afterwards to avoid fracturing.

How do dental plans usually treat this?

Covered, but the root canal plus crown together often exhausts an annual maximum.

How many practices is this based on?

This national figure comes from 25,495 separate dental practices. Each practice contributes one observation, which is the median of every rate it holds for this treatment.