A tooth can look completely normal and still have decay that has reached the nerve. This one did — and the treatment it needed, and what that costs, are both worth setting out plainly.
Can a tooth ache with no visible decay?
The complaint was a sharp, throbbing ache in an upper left molar, bad enough to be noticeable at night. The patient suspected decay.
The visual examination found nothing obvious. There was no blackened area, nothing visibly broken. On appearance alone the tooth looked unremarkable.
Why is an X-ray needed if the tooth looks fine?
A panoramic X-ray found the decay. On the image it appears as a darkened area within the tooth, and it had already penetrated to the pulp — the nerve and blood supply at the centre.
Once decay reaches the pulp, a filling is no longer an option. The pulp is infected, and it has to be removed and the space sealed. That is root canal treatment.
This is the reason check-ups are recommended even when nothing hurts. Early decay is neither painful nor visible, and by the time it announces itself, the treatment required has usually escalated a step or two.
What are the steps from root canal to crown?
1. Root canal treatment
All infected pulp is removed. If any is left behind, infection can recur inside a sealed tooth, and the outcome at that point is often extraction. This is why the cleaning stage is done thoroughly and over several appointments rather than in one sitting.
The interior is disinfected, and the emptied canals are filled with sealing material.
2. Core build-up
A tooth left in that state is fragile — it can fracture under a modest force. A core is built up on top to create a solid foundation.
3. Crown
A crown is fitted over the core and the bite adjusted. The patient here chose zirconia, a high-strength ceramic that also matches natural teeth well in appearance. Material choice is the patient’s, made after discussing the options.
What it costs
Two things determine the answer, and they work differently.
Root canal treatment
Root canal treatment is covered by Korean national health insurance, so Korean residents pay only a co-payment. It is also not a single appointment — three to four visits is typical, and the number depends on how many canals the tooth has and how the infection responds.
If you are visiting Korea and not enrolled in national health insurance, the treatment is billed differently. We will tell you the figure for your case in writing after the examination, because the number of canals and the number of appointments are what drive it, and neither can be known before the tooth is examined and X-rayed.
The crown
The crown is not covered by insurance, so it is charged at the clinic’s published fee regardless of residency. Our fee schedule is published in English, and zirconia crowns are listed there separately for posterior and anterior teeth, since front teeth take more work to match.
There is no separate rate for international patients. The fees are the same ones quoted to patients in Korea.
Did the pain go away after treatment?
The canals were cleaned out and filled, a core was built up to give the tooth a strong base, and the zirconia crown was fitted and the bite adjusted.
The patient reported the pain had substantially settled and the tooth was comfortable again — including at night, which had been the main complaint. With good home care and regular check-ups, a crowned root-treated tooth serves for many years.
How long does a root canal and crown take?
Treatment ran from mid-January to mid-February 2022 — about five weeks across several appointments. That is a realistic figure for root canal treatment plus a crown, and it is the reason this combination is difficult to complete inside a short trip. If you are travelling, tell us your dates at the first appointment so we can plan the sequence around them.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a root canal and crown cost in Korea?
The crown is charged at the published fee — see our fee schedule. The root canal portion depends on how many canals the tooth has and how many appointments it takes, and whether you are covered by Korean national health insurance. You get an itemised written estimate after examination and before treatment starts.
Why does root canal treatment need several appointments?
Because the cleaning and disinfection stage is repeated until the inside of the tooth is clean. Compressing it into one visit risks leaving infection behind, and infection left inside a sealed tooth is what leads to the tooth being lost later.
Can I have a root canal if the tooth does not hurt?
Yes, and it is fairly common. Decay reaching the pulp does not always produce pain, and a tooth whose nerve has already died can be completely silent. X-rays are what find these, which is the argument for regular check-ups.
Do I have to have a crown after a root canal?
For a back tooth, effectively yes. Chewing forces are high there and a root-treated tooth is brittle. Without a crown the likely outcome is a fracture, and then the treatment already done is wasted.
Why choose zirconia over other crown materials?
It is strong and matches natural teeth well, which is why it is a common choice for both front and back teeth. Gold and porcelain-fused-to-metal are also available and are listed on the fee schedule. We will go through the trade-offs for your specific tooth.
Read more: root canal treatment · crowns and veneers · what treatment costs