Root Canal questions answered in plain English

A front tooth (incisor or canine) costs €390 to €700, a premolar €490 to €800, and a molar €590 to €1,250 (€900 to €1,250 with a specialist endodontist). If the tooth needs a crown afterwards, that adds €800 to €1,200. Both the root canal and the crown qualify for 20% tax relief on Form Med 2.

Yes. Root canal treatment (endodontics) and crowns are both listed by Revenue as qualifying non-routine dental treatments. Your dentist signs Form Med 2 when you pay, and you claim 20% back through Revenue myAccount under Health Expenses.

No. The Department of Social Protection's PRSI Treatment Benefit scheme covers an annual dental exam and €50 towards a scale and polish (or €42 towards periodontal treatment). It does not cover root canals, crowns or extractions.

Only on a front tooth. Under the HSE Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS), a Medical Card covers one first-stage root canal on an incisor or canine per year. It does not cover premolars, molars or private crowns on back teeth.

With modern local anaesthetic, a root canal should feel no different to having a deep filling placed. The procedure removes the inflamed or infected nerve that is causing your toothache. Mild tenderness when biting for 2 to 3 days afterwards is normal and settles with over-the-counter pain relief.

Usually yes on a molar or premolar, and usually no on a front tooth. Back teeth take heavy chewing forces and become more brittle once hollowed out; a crown (€800 to €1,200) wraps the tooth so it does not split. Front teeth with intact walls are usually sealed with a tooth-coloured composite filling.

No — modern root canal treatment is carried out under deep local anaesthetic and feels no different from having a routine filling. In fact, when a tooth has throbbing pulpitis, removing the inflamed nerve relieves the toothache immediately.

A front incisor or canine almost always has a single wide, straight canal (€390 to €700). A back molar has three or four narrow, curved canals (including the tiny MB2 canal in upper molars) that take roughly twice the clinical time and specialist rotary files or microscope magnification (€590 to €1,250).

Front incisors and canines with intact enamel walls usually only need a strong composite filling in the access opening. Back premolars and molars carry heavy chewing loads and become more brittle once hollowed out for access, so fitting a protective zirconia or ceramic crown (€800 to €1,200) is strongly advised to stop the tooth splitting vertically.

If the tooth was straightforward and symptom-free, the crown preparation scan can take place immediately or within 2 to 4 weeks while the temporary filling is intact. If the tooth had a large abscess or swelling, your dentist may place a strong bonded core and wait 4 to 8 weeks to confirm the tooth is completely settled before cementing the final crown.

Yes — both endodontic (root canal) treatment and dental crowns are listed by Revenue as qualifying non-routine dental treatments on Form Med 2. On a €900 molar root canal plus a €950 crown (€1,850 total), your 20% Med 2 tax refund is €370, bringing your net cost down to €1,480.

Saving your natural tooth with a root canal and crown is faster, preserves your natural periodontal ligament and bite sensation, and typically costs €1,390 to €2,450 all-in (before 20% tax relief) compared with €2,200 to €3,200+ and 4 to 6 months of healing for extraction, bone grafting and a dental implant.