Root CanalCost in Pakistan
Medically reviewed byDr. Saad Irfan— MDS, MSc, BDS·
Root canal treatment removes infected or dying pulp from inside a tooth, disinfects the canal system and seals it, so a tooth that would otherwise need extracting can be kept. Across Pakistan it runs roughly PKR 15,000 to 45,000 per tooth.
The variable that matters most is which tooth. A front incisor has one canal and is usually straightforward. A lower molar can have four, sometimes curved and sometimes partially calcified, and finding all of them is the difference between a treatment that lasts twenty years and one that fails in three.
One thing to establish before comparing quotes: almost every root-treated back tooth needs a crown afterwards, and that crown is a separate cost. A quote that looks unusually low may simply be a quote for half the job.
Pakistan market range, per tooth
PKR 15,000 – 60,000
Covers diagnosis, cleaning and shaping the canals, sealing them, and a temporary filling on top.
Market information for Pakistan, not a quotation and not our fee list.
The short version
- Price tracks the number of canals. A front tooth usually has one, a molar has three or four, and that is most of the difference between quotes.
- The crown that follows is a separate cost and is not optional on a back tooth. Budget for both from the start.
- Retreatment of a failed root canal costs more than the original, because the old filling material has to be removed first.
- A root canal quoted without mentioning the crown afterwards is an incomplete plan, not a cheaper one.
Where the money goes
The stages you are paying for
This is not one appointment. Each stage below is separate work, and the gaps between them are healing time rather than delay.
Diagnosis and access
Radiographs establish which tooth and how many canals. Treatment usually starts in the same appointment once the diagnosis is clear.
Cleaning and shaping
Each canal is cleaned along its full length and disinfected. Curved or calcified canals take longer, which is why a molar is not simply three times a front tooth.
Sealing
The canals are filled and sealed so bacteria cannot re-enter. A temporary filling closes the access cavity.
The crown
A root-treated back tooth is brittle and will split under normal chewing if it is left uncrowned. This is a separate treatment with its own cost.
Root Canal Treatment prices across Pakistan in 2026
Canal count is the main driver. More canals means more time, more instrumentation and considerably more skill in locating them all.
| Type | Market range (PKR) |
|---|---|
Front tooth (incisor or canine, single canal) Usually one canal, straight and accessible. Often completed in a single appointment. | 15,000 – 25,000 |
Premolar (typically two canals) Two canals in most cases, occasionally three. | 20,000 – 32,000 |
Molar (three to four canals) The most demanding routine endodontic work. Missed canals are the leading cause of later failure. | 28,000 – 45,000 |
Retreatment of a failed root canal Removing existing filling material before the canal can be re-cleaned. Longer, harder, and lower success rate than a first attempt. | 35,000 – 60,000 |
Overall market range: PKR 15,000 – 60,000 per tooth. These are prices observed across dental practices in Pakistan, published so you can set a realistic budget and judge whether a quote you have been given is reasonable. They are not Dr Saad Dentistry’s prices. See how our pricing works.
What makes the price go up or down
How many canals the tooth has
The primary driver. A four-canal molar is several times the work of a single-canal incisor.
Canal anatomy
Curved, calcified or previously treated canals take far longer to negotiate safely and sometimes need specialist instrumentation.
First treatment or retreatment
Retreatment means dismantling previous work before the real treatment can begin, and success rates are lower.
Whether magnification is used
A dental operating microscope makes it possible to find canals that are genuinely invisible without one. It raises cost and materially raises success rates.
Whether a post and core is needed
Where little tooth structure remains, a foundation has to be built before a crown can be placed. Separate cost.
Should be inside the figure
- Diagnostic radiographs before, during and after treatment
- Local anaesthesia
- Access, canal location, cleaning and shaping
- Disinfection of the canal system
- Gutta-percha obturation to seal the canals
- A temporary seal until the permanent restoration is placed
Use this as a checklist when comparing quotes. A figure that leaves out half the list is not cheaper, it is incomplete.
Usually priced separately
- The crown afterwardsEssential on almost every root-treated back tooth. A root-treated tooth is brittle and will eventually split under load without cuspal coverage. This is the single biggest cost people fail to budget for.
- Post and coreWhere too little natural structure remains to retain a crown.
- Permanent fillingWhere a crown is not indicated — usually a front tooth with most of its structure intact.
- Drainage or antibiotics for acute infectionWhere the tooth presents with a swelling that needs managing before treatment can start.
These sit outside the headline figure and are the usual reason a final bill exceeds expectations. Not all of them will apply to you.
Root Canal Treatment estimator
Your case, three questions in
How many, which option, and what else might be involved. You get the market range for that combination, a breakdown, what it looks like paid in stages, and a summary you can send straight to a clinic.
Cost estimator
Root Canal Treatment
Market range
PKR 15,000 – PKR 25,000
- 1How many
- 2Option
- 3Extras
- 4Your range
How many teeth?
A best guess is fine. The range scales per tooth, and an examination is what settles the real number.
Indicative market information only. These are ranges observed across dental practices in Pakistan, not a quotation and not our fee list. Your own figure is confirmed in writing after an examination, before any treatment begins.
Against the alternatives
This is not the only option worth pricing
The comparison worth making runs over ten years rather than one appointment. Cheapest on the day and cheapest overall are frequently different treatments.
Root Canal Treatment
15k – 60k
The treatment this guide covers, per tooth.
Extraction
3k – 10k
Cheapest on the day and the most expensive over ten years, because the gap then needs filling with an implant or a bridge, and the bone underneath starts to shrink immediately.
Compare properlyExtraction plus implant
90k – 2.5 lac
The honest comparison if the tooth is genuinely unrestorable. Saving a tooth that was never going to hold means paying for the root canal, the crown and then the implant anyway.
Compare properlyAlternative ranges are national market figures for those treatments, shown at the same scale so the comparison is like for like.
How prices compare across Pakistani cities
| Karachi | Widest range. Microscope-assisted endodontics is available and priced accordingly. |
| Lahore | Broadly comparable to Karachi. |
| Islamabad | Slightly above the Karachi and Lahore range. |
| Smaller cities | Lower prices, but magnification and specialist endodontic referral are less commonly available. |
Why the cheapest option often costs more
Root canal treatment either works or it does not, and you usually will not know which for two or three years.
The most common reason for failure is a canal that was never found. Lower molars frequently have a fourth canal that is invisible to the naked eye. If it is missed, bacteria remain sealed inside the tooth, and the infection re-establishes itself slowly under a crown that looks perfectly healthy.
The second common shortcut is inadequate disinfection — rushing the irrigation stage, which is where the actual sterilisation happens rather than in the mechanical filing.
When a root canal fails you are looking at retreatment, which costs more and succeeds less often, or extraction and an implant, which costs several times the original treatment. Ask whether magnification is used and how many canals were found and filled. Any competent practice will show you the final radiograph.
Payment in stages
Longer courses of treatment are commonly paid in stages across the treatment period rather than up front, with each payment tied to an appointment milestone. Most established Karachi practices will structure this if you ask; it is a normal request and it should not change the treatment you are offered.
How we quote
Everything above is the Pakistani market. For your own case we quote after an examination rather than before it, because the figures on this page move substantially depending on findings we cannot assess without looking: bone condition, canal anatomy, how much sound tooth structure is actually left.
A consultation is PKR 2,000, the same at all three clinics. It covers a full examination, the diagnostic X-rays needed on the day, and a written treatment plan with every item priced separately. You are under no obligation to proceed with any of it.
Questions
Root Canal Treatment cost, asked plainly
How much does a root canal cost in Pakistan?
Roughly PKR 15,000 to 25,000 for a front tooth, PKR 20,000 to 32,000 for a premolar, and PKR 28,000 to 45,000 for a molar. Retreatment of a failed root canal runs higher.
Why does a molar cost so much more than a front tooth?
Canal count. A front tooth typically has one canal; a molar can have four, often curved and sometimes calcified. It is several times the chair time and considerably more difficult.
Is the crown included in the price?
Almost never, and this is the most important question to ask. Most root-treated back teeth need a crown, and it is often comparable in cost to the root canal itself.
Does a root canal hurt?
The treatment relieves pain rather than causing it. Under proper anaesthesia most patients feel nothing during it. The tooth is usually tender for a few days afterwards.
How many visits does it take?
One or two in most cases. Teeth with active infection are sometimes dressed and left for a week between appointments to let the infection settle.
Is extraction cheaper than a root canal?
On the day, yes. But replacing the extracted tooth with an implant or bridge costs several times more than saving it, so extraction is usually the more expensive route within a few years.
How long does a root-treated tooth last?
Properly treated and properly crowned, often for life. The usual reason for later loss is a fracture in an uncrowned tooth, or decay at the margin of the restoration.
What does 'retreatment' mean?
Redoing a root canal that has failed. The old filling material has to be removed before the canals can be re-cleaned, which makes it longer, harder and less predictable than a first attempt.
Why is a microscope worth paying for?
Because it makes canals visible that genuinely cannot be seen otherwise. Missed canals are the leading cause of root canal failure, so magnification directly affects whether the treatment lasts.
Can a general dentist do a root canal?
Many do, competently, particularly on front teeth and premolars. Complex molars, curved canals and retreatments are where endodontic specialisation and magnification start to matter.
What happens if I delay treatment?
Infection spreads into the surrounding bone. It can progress to a facial swelling requiring urgent care, and eventually the tooth becomes unsaveable — turning a treatable problem into an extraction.
Will the tooth look different afterwards?
Root-treated front teeth can darken over time. Internal bleaching or a crown corrects this, and it is worth discussing before treatment if the tooth is visible.
People also ask about root canal treatment cost
Why is a molar root canal more expensive than a front tooth?
A front tooth normally has one canal. A molar has three or four, they are narrower and often curved, and each one has to be cleaned along its whole length. It is several times the work in the same appointment slot.
Do I really need a crown after a root canal?
On a back tooth, effectively yes. The tooth has lost its blood supply and a large part of its structure, and unprotected root-treated molars split under normal chewing forces. A front tooth can sometimes be restored with a filling instead.
How much does root canal retreatment cost?
More than the original treatment. The previous filling material has to be removed before the canals can be cleaned again, and the anatomy that caused the first failure is usually the difficult part.
Is a cheap root canal risky?
The risk is not the price, it is what was skipped. Missed canals are the most common cause of a root canal failing years later, and finding them is a time and magnification problem. Ask how the canals were located.
Understanding the treatment
How root canal treatment worksThe procedure, what to expect and recoveryWhere to get treatment
Other cost guides
Medical Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified dentist for diagnosis and treatment specific to your condition. Results may vary depending on individual cases. Dr. Saad Irfan Dentistry, Karachi.