verified_userIndependent data • Reviewed June 2026

Root Canal Cost by Province in Canada (2026)

A molar root canal with three canals carries a suggested fee of $1,101.00 CAD in PEI to $1,354.65 in Alberta (average ~$1,202) across the five provinces with a readable published guide. Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland publish none, so no figure is given for them based on 2026 provincial suggested-fee guides (national average $1,194). Four provinces — Manitoba, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland — are flagged as estimates because their fee guides are not publicly released. CDCP covers standard root canals without pre-authorization in all provinces.

Estimate your CDCP out-of-pocket cost

Standard root canals on anterior, premolar, and first and second molar teeth are covered under the CDCP without pre-authorization. Select your province and income tier to see your estimated out-of-pocket cost.

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Root Canal CDCP Out-of-Pocket Calculator

Province × income tier — 2026 figures in CAD

paymentsEstimated Cost

$2,851
Low Estimate
$3,783
Average Cost
$5,002
High Estimate

* Estimates based on 2025–2026 provincial suggested-fee guides (CAD). Actual costs vary by province and provider; figures flagged as estimates are modelled.

Root canal cost by province (2026, molar)

Root Canal Cost by Province (Canada 2026)

Molar root canal, three canals (code 33131). Read from each province's own public abbreviated fee guide. Five provinces publish a verifiable figure; the others are excluded rather than estimated.

LowHighAverage
ProvinceCode 33131, molar / 3 canals (CAD)Published fee guide
Prince Edward Island$1,101.00DAPEI Abbreviated Guide 2025
Nova Scotia$1,128.00NSDA Abbreviated Fee Guide 2026
British Columbia$1,196.00BCDA Public Patient Version 2026
New Brunswick$1,228.22NBDS Abbreviated Guide 2026
Alberta$1,354.65ADA&C Abbreviated Guide 2026
Average of the five~$1,202
Ontariono verified figureODA guide not publicly readable
Manitoba · Quebec · Saskatchewan · Newfoundlandnot publishedno public guide — no figure given

Why Ontario has no figure here. The ODA Suggested Fee Guide is sold to members and we could not read code 33131 from a source we can point you to. Rather than publish a number we cannot show you the origin of, we leave it out. Ask your Ontario dental office for the code and the amount before treatment.

Province-by-province spotlight

Prince Edward Island — $1,101.00

The DAPEI abbreviated guide lists a molar root canal (three canals, code 33131) at $1,101.00 CAD, the lowest of the five provinces with a readable published guide.

Nova Scotia — $1,128.00

The NSDA 2026 abbreviated guide sets code 33131 at $1,128.00 CAD.

British Columbia — $1,196.00

The BCDA publishes a Public Patient Version of its 2026 guide, listing code 33131 at $1,196.00 CAD. BC dentists are not required to follow it — the guide is advisory.

New Brunswick — $1,228.22

The NBDS 2026 abbreviated guide publishes $1,228.22 CAD for code 33131.

Alberta — $1,354.65

The ADA&C 2026 abbreviated guide lists $1,354.65 CAD, the highest of the five. Alberta ended its mandatory fee guide years ago, so the figure is advisory and actual charges vary between practices.

Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland — no figure

None of these five associations makes a readable fee for code 33131 publicly available: the ODA guide is sold to members, and the MDA, ACDQ, CDSS and NLDHA guides are members-only. We publish no number for them rather than model one. Ask your dental office for the code and the amount before treatment.

General dentist vs endodontist: impact on cost

Most root canals are handled by general dentists in Canada. When a general dentist refers a complex case to an endodontist (root canal specialist), expect a cost premium of approximately 20–40% above the provincial guide rate. In Ontario, an endodontist molar root canal can reach $1,800–$2,200 CAD.

Indicators that a general dentist may refer you to an endodontist:

The CDCP covers endodontist-performed root canals under the same rules as general-dentist root canals. The CDCP grid fee does not increase for specialist treatment, so the gap between the CDCP reimbursement and the endodontist's fee is typically larger — and balance billing more likely — than with a general dentist.

Open dataset

Root canal fee data on this page comes from our publicly licensed dataset:

Manitoba, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland figures are estimates based on provincial fee modelling and are flagged as such throughout this page.

Related pages

Frequently asked questions

Which province has the cheapest root canal in Canada?
Prince Edward Island has the lowest published molar root canal fee at $1,101.00 CAD (DAPEI guide), followed by Nova Scotia at $1,128.00 (NSDA 2026) and British Columbia at $1,196.00 (BCDA 2026). All three Atlantic provinces and PEI consistently fall below the national average of approximately $1,194 CAD.
What does a root canal cost in Ontario?
We do not publish a figure for Ontario. The ODA Suggested Fee Guide is sold to members and we could not read code 33131 from a source we can point readers to, so we leave Ontario out rather than estimate it. Among the five provinces with a readable guide, a molar root canal with three canals runs from $1,101.00 in Prince Edward Island to $1,354.65 in Alberta.
Do I need to see a specialist for a root canal in Canada?
Most root canals are performed by general dentists in Canada. An endodontist (root canal specialist) is typically recommended for: complex multi-canal molars with curved or calcified canals; cases where a previous root canal has failed (retreatment); and teeth with unusual root anatomy visible on X-ray. Endodontists charge a premium of approximately 20–40% above the general-dentist guide rate for the same procedure. Your general dentist will refer you to an endodontist if the case exceeds their scope of practice.
Does province affect CDCP root canal coverage?
The CDCP coverage rules are the same nationwide — standard anterior, premolar, and first and second molar root canals are covered without pre-authorization at all income tiers. What varies by province is the relationship between the CDCP grid fee and the provincial suggested-fee guide. Where the provincial guide is higher, the gap between the CDCP reimbursement rate and the dentist's actual charge may be larger than in PEI ($1,101). Balance billing — where the patient covers the gap — is more common in high-fee provinces.
Are Quebec root canal fees published?
No. The Association des chirurgiens dentistes du Quebec (ACDQ) 2026 fee guide is available only to member dentists and is not publicly released. We therefore give no figure for Quebec on this page rather than model one. Ask your Quebec dental office for the fee code and the amount before treatment.
Researched & verified by the Real Dental Costs Data & Research Team

Independent dental pricing research — figures verified against provincial suggested-fee guides (ODA, ACDQ, BCDA, etc.) and the CDCP coverage rules published on canada.ca. Pricing/market research, not medical or dental advice.

Reviewed: How we verify our data

This page provides pricing and market research information, NOT medical or dental advice. Real Dental Costs is an independent data publisher and is not affiliated with the Government of Canada or Sun Life Financial. Manitoba, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland figures are 2026 estimates based on provincial fee modelling and have not been sourced from publicly released official fee guides.

Data Methodology & Sources

The Real Dental Costs Data & Research Team compiles pricing data from provincial suggested-fee guides (ODA, ACDQ, BCDA, Alberta DA, NSDA, NBDS, DAPEI and others, 2025–2026) and the official CDCP coverage and guide pages on canada.ca. The full per-province dataset is published openly (DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20744781). Figures marked as estimates are modelled from neighbouring-province guides where a guide is members-only.
Pricing & Research Disclaimer: Real Dental Costs publishes independent dental pricing and market-research data for informational purposes only. It is not medical or dental advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment recommendation, and it is not affiliated with the Government of Canada or the CDCP. Costs vary by provider and province — always confirm coverage with Sun Life and get an exact quote from a licensed dentist.
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