The Cost of Root Canals in Japan

As a consequence of my being born and raised in America, where the cost of health care is astronomical compared to most other nations, I simply do not know how much dental work actually costs in Japan. 

Earlier, I mentioned a numbing agent that I used on my gums when some serious dental pain started to become a problem. 

Luckily I managed to get an appointment with my dentist the following week. There I found out that I required not just one, not just two, but three root canals. 

I guess that's what happens when you don't do regular checkups and only see the dentist when something is broken.

I can admit now that if I had gone in for the little twinges I felt in November the results might have been fillings and wouldn't have been as expensive as my current situation has become. 

Unfortunately , I couldn't conceive of these things being affordable, so I put it off since Christmas was coming and waited until I could barely chew toast.

Another thing that seems different with Japanese dentistry is the amount of time per session, but that could be specific to my dentist as he seems really busy. I feel like these things would be done in one sitting most of the time in the states but they would also cost several thousand dollars.

My first appointment lasted 30 minutes, included a drilling out of two teeth, x rays, a filled prescription for what was essentially Tylenol, and application of temporary filler. All of this cost less than 5000 yen.

My next appointment was scheduled for two and a half weeks later but I freaked out about the temporary filler's flakiness as it felt like it was getting scraped off on everything. I messaged the dentist and managed to get in for a cancelled appointment a lot sooner. There, the two drilled teeth were hollowed out and whatever it is they put in the root was placed there before a different temporary filler was applied. This stuff acted less like gum/chalk and more like tooth, so I had no trouble waiting for my next appointment. It also cost less than 5000 yen.

The third appointment came and my first two root canals were completed, for less than 5000 yen again. The tooth-colored resin they used to make the replacements for the bad parts of my teeth were made to fit my teeth exactly and they feel great.

Bills for 2 of my 3 appointments. So cheap!

So the grand total for the first two root canals is less than 15000 yen ($100 with today's exchange rate) and I am ecstatic