How much does root canal treatment cost? Prices for teeth 4, 6 and 7, the number of canals and what the NFZ funds

What does the price of root canal treatment depend on?

The price of endodontic (root canal) treatment depends above all on the number of canals in the tooth, because each canal has to be found, shaped along its whole length, disinfected and tightly sealed. A tooth with four canals is in practice four separate tasks in one tooth, which is why treating a molar costs more than treating a canine.

Several factors affect the final amount, and they are worth knowing before the visit:

• The number of canals, which follows from the type of tooth but can differ from the typical number in a particular person.
• The number of visits: treatment in one visit or in two, with a medicated dressing in the canals between them.
• Work under a microscope, which gives magnification and light aimed along the axis of the canal.
• Difficulties in the canal, such as a broken instrument from earlier treatment or a perforation, priced as separate items.
• Previous treatment: root canal retreatment (re-endo) has its own price list, charged per canal.
• Restoration of the crown after treatment, from a filling to a post and a prosthetic crown.

How many canals do teeth 4, 6 and 7 have?

The typical number of canals depends on the group of teeth: incisors and canines usually have 1 canal, premolars 1 or 2, and molars 3 or 4. A tooth's number is its position in the arch counted from the middle: 1 and 2 are incisors, 3 is the canine, 4 and 5 are premolars, and 6, 7 and 8 are molars.

The upper tooth 6 brings the most surprises. In a review covering 8,399 teeth (Cleghorn et al., 2006), an additional MB2 canal in the mesiobuccal root of the upper first molar was present in 56.8% of cases. A missed canal can leave infection behind, and the microscope increases the chance of finding additional canals, which is why it matters particularly in molars.

The dentist establishes the final number of canals during treatment, on the X-ray and under magnification. The estimate before the procedure is therefore based on typical anatomy, and the final price depends on how many canals actually need treating.

How much does root canal treatment under a microscope cost at DentalBlue?

In the DentalBlue price list, the total cost of root canal treatment under a microscope depends on the number of canals and the number of visits: 1 650 zł for a tooth with 1 canal treated in one visit and 3 600 zł for a tooth with 4 canals. Treatment over two visits with a dressing costs 2 100 zł and 5 400 zł respectively.

A consultation using the microscope is a separate item in the price list and costs 300 zł. Full restoration of a damaged crown, for example with a glass fibre post, and a prosthetic crown are also separate items. The final scope and cost are set by the dentist at the consultation, prices may change, and the current items are in the clinic's price list.

One visit or two: what changes the price, and does it change the result?

Root canal treatment over two visits costs more, because between visits the canals are filled with a medicated dressing and the tooth has to be opened again. The choice depends on the state of the tooth: acute inflammation or a large lesion at the root tip more often call for a dressing and a second visit.

A 2022 Cochrane review (47 studies) found no difference in effectiveness between treatment in one visit and in several. Pain in the week after the procedure was more common after single-visit treatment (RR 1.55), but painkiller use was similar.

The difference in price is therefore not a surcharge for a better result; it reflects the extra visit and the dressing. You can ask the dentist why they recommend one option or the other in your case.

What is not included in the price of root canal treatment?

The price of root canal treatment does not include full restoration of the damaged crown of the tooth, nor, with a large cavity, a prosthetic crown. A root-treated tooth is more brittle, and how long it lasts depends largely on what protects it from above.

In the study by Aquilino and Caplan (2002), root-treated teeth without a crown were lost 6 times more often than teeth with a crown. The meta-analysis by Ng et al. (2010) gives survival of root-treated teeth of 86% after 2 to 3 years, 93% after 4 to 5 years and 87% after 8 to 10 years, and a crown was one of the strongest favourable factors.

In the clinic's price list, “Odbudowa zęba z wkładem na włóknie szklanym” (restoration with a glass fibre post) costs 1 000 zł, “Korona porcelanowo-metalowa” (porcelain fused to metal crown) 2 500 zł and “Korona pełnocyrkonowa” (full zirconia crown) 3 000 zł. X-rays may also be part of the plan: an intraoral X-ray costs 60 zł, and with complex anatomy a CT scan of the upper or lower jaw 300 zł. Whether a crown is needed is decided by the dentist after assessing how much of the natural tooth remains.

Is root canal treatment covered by the NFZ?

Root canal treatment is covered by the NFZ, but adults get it only in incisors and canines, that is in teeth 1 to 3. Premolars and molars, including teeth 4, 6 and 7, are root treated privately for adults. Children and young people up to 18, and women who are pregnant or in the postnatal period, get root canal treatment of all teeth on the NFZ.

The NFZ service includes removal of the pulp, filling the canals and treatment of pulp gangrene, but not restoration of the crown of the tooth. The regulation does not require work under a microscope, and microscope endodontics for adults is not in the package. Since 2025, children also have treatment of teeth with an immature root using MTA material.

No referral is needed to see an NFZ dentist, and a patient in pain is entitled to help on the day they report (§ 6 of the regulation, consolidated text Dz.U. 2025 item 615). The law is stated as at 12 October 2026.

Why does root canal retreatment cost differently?

Root canal retreatment (re-endo) is priced differently because, before the dentist can start treating, the old material has to be removed from the canals, and sometimes a broken instrument or a post. In the clinic's price list, re-endo under a microscope is charged per canal: 800 zł for the visit with a dressing and 650 zł for filling the canal with warm gutta-percha.

Removing a broken instrument under a microscope costs 250 zł per visit. According to the meta-analysis by Ng et al. (2008), retreatment ends in healing in about 77% of cases, and primary treatment in 68 to 85% by strict criteria (Ng et al., 2007). The details are in a separate article on root canal retreatment.

How a root canal estimate works at DentalBlue

At DentalBlue in Białystok, root canal treatment and retreatment are carried out under a microscope. Diagnostics, from intraoral X-rays to CBCT scans, are done by the clinic's own radiology unit. A patient in pain can come for a “Wizyta z bólem” (visit in pain: panoramic X-ray, consultation, examination and pain relief, 340 zł), and a patient without pain for a “Wizyta bez bólu” (visit without pain, 300 zł), after which they receive a written treatment plan with the prices of each stage. The final scope and cost are set at the consultation, and prices may change.