I’m kinda confused about what actually costs more, the crown or the root canal? My dentist says I need both but my wallet’s already crying. Is it normal to pay for both, or does insurance usually help with one? Would love to hear how it worked out for others.
Honestly, I hear this question a lot—root canals and crowns both come with sticker shock, and it’s tough when you need both at once. In my experience, the crown usually ends up costing a bit more than the root canal, especially if you’re getting something like a porcelain crown (the tooth-colored ones). But prices can swing quite a bit depending on where you live and what your insurance covers.
It’s pretty normal to pay for both separately since they’re two different procedures. Insurance sometimes chips in more for one or the other, but rarely covers 100%. Sometimes folks get surprised that the root canal is just step one; you almost always need the crown after to protect the tooth. I’ve seen patients frustrated by that—like, “I thought I was done!”—but it really does help keep the tooth strong long-term.
Hang in there... It’s a lot upfront, but most people are relieved once it’s all done and they can chew without pain again. If cost is a big barrier, maybe ask your dentist about payment plans or phased treatment. You’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed—dental stuff gets expensive fast.
I totally get the sticker shock—when I needed both, I remember thinking the root canal would be the big expense, but the crown actually cost me more. I went with porcelain for the look, and yeah, insurance barely touched it. Still, once I could finally eat on that side again, I was so relieved. If you’re worried about the price, sometimes dentists have less expensive crown options too... worth asking about.
I get what you mean about the crown being expensive, but honestly, my root canal ended up costing more than the crown itself. Maybe it depends on where you live or which tooth? My insurance barely covered either one, but the root canal bill really freaked me out. I went with a cheaper crown just because I was already stressed about money.
If you’re worried about the price, sometimes dentists have less expensive crown options too... worth asking about.
I tried asking for cheaper options, but even the “basic” ones weren’t exactly cheap at my dentist. Plus, I started worrying if going for the cheapest would mess with how long it lasts. Did anyone else feel weird about that? I keep second-guessing if I should’ve just pulled the tooth instead of all this work. The whole thing’s made me super anxious about needing more dental stuff down the line...
Maybe it depends on where you live or which tooth? My insurance barely covered either one, but the root canal bill really freaked me out.
Honestly, I went through the same back-and-forth about whether to pull the tooth or try to save it. My dentist said a root canal plus crown would give me the best shot at keeping the tooth long-term, but the sticker shock was real. For me, the root canal was a bit pricier than the crown, but not by much—both felt like a gut punch to my savings. Insurance barely chipped in, which was frustrating. I did ask about cheaper crowns too, but then started worrying about durability, just like you. In hindsight, I’m glad I kept the tooth, but I still get anxious every time a filling twinges now... dental work just never feels simple or cheap.
