Root Canal Treatment (Endodontics): Procedure, Pain, Health Insurance, and Crowns
An analysis of 12,394 patient comments on Korean YouTube dental content about Root Canal Treatment found that questions about Pain and anesthesia were the most common (1,843). Root canal treatment removes infected pulp to save the natural tooth. Covers why it takes several visits, pain afterward, insurance coverage and crown costs in Korea, and options if it fails. SOURCE Analysis of patient comments on YouTube dental content (DentStat) · public sources listed under References · Data as of June 28, 2026
Key facts
| What is done | Infected or damaged pulp (nerve and blood vessels) is removed, then the canals are disinfected and sealed [1] |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To keep the natural tooth instead of extracting it [1] |
| Health insurance | Root canal treatment is a covered service under National Health Insurance [2] |
| Crowns and other restorations | Generally non-covered: a main reason the total cost feels high [2] |
| Most common patient question theme | Pain and anesthesia (1,843 of 5,085 question comments) [4] |
Cost statistics (non-covered, official HIRA data)
HIRA non-covered treatment fee statistics. National figures are for dental clinics · as of July 6, 2026.
| Item | Basis | Min | Median | Average | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tooth autotransplantation | Official, dental clinics | 50,000 KRW | 500,000 KRW | 558,884 KRW | 2,000,000 KRW |
Tooth autotransplantation: by province
| Province | Basis | Min | Median | Average | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul | Official, regional | 150,000 KRW | 500,000 KRW | 665,996 KRW | 2,549,680 KRW |
| Busan | Official, regional | 200,000 KRW | 500,000 KRW | 632,142 KRW | 2,000,000 KRW |
| Incheon | Official, regional | 143,280 KRW | 500,000 KRW | 645,360 KRW | 2,000,000 KRW |
| Daegu | Official, regional | 100,000 KRW | 500,000 KRW | 535,194 KRW | 1,300,000 KRW |
| Gwangju | Official, regional | 50,000 KRW | 500,000 KRW | 570,755 KRW | 1,500,000 KRW |
| Daejeon | Official, regional | 50,000 KRW | 500,000 KRW | 525,000 KRW | 1,000,000 KRW |
| Ulsan | Official, regional | 150,000 KRW | 500,000 KRW | 438,235 KRW | 1,000,000 KRW |
| Gyeonggi | Official, regional | 100,000 KRW | 500,000 KRW | 568,769 KRW | 1,700,000 KRW |
| Gangwon | Official, regional | 200,000 KRW | 350,000 KRW | 394,444 KRW | 800,000 KRW |
| Chungbuk | Official, regional | 226,300 KRW | 500,000 KRW | 567,672 KRW | 1,000,000 KRW |
| Chungnam | Official, regional | 300,000 KRW | 500,000 KRW | 646,750 KRW | 1,800,000 KRW |
| Jeonbuk | Official, regional | 100,000 KRW | 450,000 KRW | 478,750 KRW | 1,200,000 KRW |
| Jeonnam | Official, regional | 70,000 KRW | 400,000 KRW | 460,000 KRW | 1,000,000 KRW |
| Gyeongbuk | Official, regional | 100,000 KRW | 500,000 KRW | 544,117 KRW | 1,200,000 KRW |
| Gyeongnam | Official, regional | 200,000 KRW | 450,000 KRW | 530,064 KRW | 1,200,000 KRW |
| Jeju | Official, regional | 200,000 KRW | 300,000 KRW | 461,600 KRW | 1,200,000 KRW |
| Sejong | Official, regional | 200,000 KRW | 600,000 KRW | 600,000 KRW | 1,000,000 KRW |
These figures aggregate HIRA’s public non-covered fee data and are not the price of any particular clinic. "Official" values are statistics published by HIRA (sample size not disclosed); "N dental hospitals" is our own aggregation of the institutions’ reported data (groups with fewer than 5 are not shown). Actual costs depend on the patient’s condition and the scope of treatment. Source: HIRA non-covered treatment fee information (KOGL Type 1). Amounts are in Korean won (KRW).
What do patients ask about most?
Analysis of 12,394 patient question comments on YouTube content about Root Canal Treatment (collected June 28, 2026).
What is root canal treatment?
The formal name for what Koreans call “nerve treatment” is root canal treatment. It removes pulp (the nerve and blood vessel tissue inside the tooth) that has been infected or damaged by a cavity or injury, cleans and disinfects the root canals (the passages inside the tooth roots), and seals them with filling material [1]. Despite the common name, it does not save the nerve but removes infected tissue, and its purpose is to keep the natural tooth without extracting it [1].
When DentStat analyzed 12,394 patient comments about root canal treatment on YouTube dental content (5,085 of them questions), the most common topics were pain and anesthesia (1,843), crown and restoration choice (1,291), and fear of extraction or implants (684), in that order [4]. This guide follows that order of questions and sets out facts that can be confirmed from public sources.
Why is the treatment split over several visits?
The number and shape of root canals differ from tooth to tooth, and they are often thin and curved, so it is common to split the removal of infected tissue and disinfection over several visits [1]. For teeth with severe inflammation, a disinfection period may be allowed until the inside settles, and the timing of sealing is decided while watching the progress [1].
The position of the tooth also matters. Molars have more canals and tend to need more visits than front teeth, and the total duration depends on the degree of infection and the condition of the tooth [1].
The nerve was removed, so why does it still hurt?
Discomfort when chewing or a dull ache for a few days right after treatment is a common part of recovery, because it takes time for remaining inflammation in the tissue around the tooth root to settle [1]. On the other hand, pain that keeps getting worse or comes with swelling or pus may indicate reinfection inside the canal and calls for reassessment [1].
When acute inflammation is severe, local anesthesia can work less well, so some people feel pain during treatment [1]. In the patient comment analysis, pain and anesthesia was the most common question theme (1,843 comments), showing demand for a clear explanation of “why does it hurt when treatment is finished” [4].
Is it covered by health insurance? Why does the cost feel so high?
Root canal treatment is a covered service under National Health Insurance [2]. In contrast, crowns and other restorations that cover the treated tooth are generally non-covered (not paid by Korea’s National Health Insurance) [2]. The estimate a patient receives often includes both the covered root canal treatment and the non-covered restoration, so the whole amount is easily perceived as “the cost of a root canal” [2].
In the comment analysis as well, many of the cost and insurance questions (518 comments) showed the confusion “it is covered by insurance, so why is it expensive” [4]. Checking the estimate item by item (root canal treatment, post, and restoration) is the starting point for comparison.
Do I have to get a crown after treatment?
A tooth whose pulp has been removed loses its internal moisture supply, and tooth structure is reduced during treatment, leaving it easier to break [1]. For this reason, molars that take heavy chewing forces are usually covered and reinforced with a crown [1]. When enough tooth structure remains and biting forces are relatively small, as with front teeth, other restoration methods may be considered [1].
Crown and restoration choice was the second most common question theme in the comment analysis (1,291 comments), and questions asking “do front teeth also need a crown” appeared repeatedly [4]. The restoration method depends on how much tooth structure remains and where the tooth is, so it is something to discuss with a dentist.
If root canal treatment fails, does the tooth have to be extracted?
Inflammation at the root tip can persist or reinfection can occur even after root canal treatment, but this does not lead straight to extraction [1]. Options considered before extraction include root canal retreatment (removing the old filling and disinfecting again), apicoectomy (surgically removing inflammation at the root tip), and intentional replantation (extracting the tooth, treating it, and putting it back in place) [1].
Whether each method can be used depends on factors such as whether the tooth is cracked and how much tissue remains [1]. In the comment analysis, fear of extraction or implants (“won’t it end up as an implant anyway”) was the third theme (684 comments), and 274 questions about failure and retreatment were also counted [4].
Dental clinics nationwide (number and location of board-certified specialists in Conservative Dentistry, etc.) can be checked on DentStat’s regional pages, based on public data from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) [3].
In-depth guides
Documents covering subtopics of Root Canal Treatment in more depth.
- Fear of pain and anesthesia: Why Anesthesia Fails, Supplemental Injections, and Polarized Reviews
- Post-treatment pain and recurrence: Normal Recovery vs. Warning Signs, X-ray Limits, and Retreatment Decisions
- Distrust about overtreatment: How to Check the Diagnostic Evidence, Pulp Tests, and Second Opinions
- Terminology and Tooth Lifespan: Removing the Nerve and the Factors That Affect Tooth Life
- Procedure, visits, and cost: Why It Is Split, What Happens at Each Visit, and Insurance Coverage
- Crowns, resin, and posts: Molars vs. Front Teeth, Ferrule, Posts, and Cost Structure
- Failure, Retreatment, and Extraction: Warning Signs, Causes, and 3 Options to Save the Tooth Before Extraction
- Self-Check, Trauma, and Sensitivity: Sensitivity, Throbbing Pain, and Discoloration After Injury, and When to See a Dentist
Frequently asked questions
- Does root canal treatment save the nerve?
- No. Root canal treatment removes infected or damaged pulp (the nerve and blood vessel tissue inside the tooth), disinfects the empty canals, and seals them with filling material. It does not revive the nerve; its purpose is to keep the natural tooth without extracting it.
- Is it normal to have pain during or after root canal treatment?
- Discomfort when chewing or a dull ache for a few days after treatment is a common course. However, if the pain keeps getting worse or comes with swelling or pus, there may be further infection, so it is usual to return to have it checked.
- Is root canal treatment covered by health insurance? Then why does it feel so expensive?
- Root canal treatment itself is covered by National Health Insurance. However, crowns and other restorations placed on the tooth afterward are generally non-covered (not paid by Korea's National Health Insurance), so when both appear in one estimate, the total can feel large. Checking each item separately is the basis for comparison.
- Do I have to get a crown after root canal treatment?
- A tooth whose pulp has been removed loses its moisture supply and becomes easier to break, so molars that take heavy chewing forces are usually reinforced with a crown. When enough tooth structure remains, as with some front teeth, other restoration methods may be considered, and the specific method is something to discuss with a dentist who has examined the tooth.
- How long does a root canal treated tooth last?
- There is no fixed lifespan. Many such teeth are used for a long time depending on how much tooth structure remains, the condition of the restoration (crown), and oral hygiene. A tooth without a nerve may feel pain late even when a problem develops, so it is usual to check its condition at regular checkups.
- If root canal treatment fails, is an implant the only option?
- No. Options considered before extraction include root canal retreatment, apicoectomy (surgically removing inflammation at the root tip), and intentional replantation (extracting the tooth, treating it, and putting it back). Whether each applies depends on the tooth's condition, so it is something to discuss with a dentist.
Find a dental clinic
Compare dental clinics by area and treatment in the area shortlists, or see nationwide figures in dental clinic statistics for South Korea.
Related topics
CavitiesProsthetics: CrownsDental implantsSedation dentistry and anesthesia
References
- National Health Information Portal: Pulp Disease and Root Canal Treatment · Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA)
- National Health Insurance coverage criteria for root canal treatment · Ministry of Health and Welfare, National Health Insurance Service (NHIS)
- Hospital information service public data · Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA)
- Analysis of patient comments on YouTube dental content: root canal treatment, 12,394 comments (collected 2026-06-28) · DentStat (Osamil Inc.)
This content is general information based on public sources and does not replace diagnosis, prescription or treatment for any individual. If you have symptoms, consult a dentist.