A root canal is ninety minutes of precision plumbing inside a tooth. In the US, that ninety minutes bills at $1,000–$2,000 — before the crown the tooth almost always needs afterward, which doubles the ticket. In Colombia, the same procedure with an endodontist (a root canal specialist, not a general dentist) runs $200–$350. Same files, same rotary instruments, same obturation materials. Let's break down both numbers.
Why the gap is this big
Root canals concentrate everything expensive about US dentistry: specialist referral markups (your general dentist refers to an endodontist, two offices bill), overhead structures built on $500K student debt and US commercial rents, and insurance-inflated fee schedules. Colombian endodontists train in the same techniques — rotary nickel-titanium files, apex locators, digital imaging — with an overhead base that's a fraction of Miami's.
The single-trip advantage
Unlike implants, root canal + crown fits one trip. Day 1–2: exam, imaging, root canal. Day 3–5: crown fabricated by the in-house lab and seated. Fly home restored. One molar alone sits near the break-even line; two teeth or root canal + additional work clears it comfortably.
X-Ray First, Decide Second
WhatsApp us your X-ray and symptoms. We'll get an endodontist's read and a written quote — root canal or honest alternative — before you book anything.