The Financial Case for Microscopic Endodontics in General Practice

Dr Dan Shaffer
Jan 5
3 min read

Endodontics has always been a clinically demanding area of dentistry, but it is also

one of the most financially significant. When a root canal goes well, the practice retains both the treatment fee and the restorative phase that follows. When it

does not, the loss spreads far beyond a single appointment.

This is why visibility and predictability matter so much. They are not only clinical concerns but also financial ones. The numbers from typical UK practice models show that even a small improvement in endodontic consistency creates a meaningful shift in annual revenue.

Understanding the cost of avoidable endodontic losses

When an RCT becomes unpredictable or fails entirely, several things happen that affect the financial health of the practice. These include increased chair time, remedial or no fee appointments, loss of patient confidence and loss of the restorative phase that often carries more value than the RCT itself.

In routine private practice, molar RCTs commonly lead to:

• Crowns between £700 and £1,000

• Onlays between £650 and £900

• Post core and crown combinations between £900 and

£1,200.

If the tooth is lost because the endodontic outcome is poor, all of this additional revenue disappears.

A dentist who refers out two molar RCTs per week loses the opportunity for approximately £1,700 per week in crown revenue based on an £850 average fee. Over a working year of 48 weeks this is £81,600 of restorative work that the practice never sees.

This sits on top of the lost RCT income itself. When considered together, the cumulative impact becomes substantial.

How microscopic endodontics shifts the numbers

Microscopic endodontics improves visibility of canal morphology, reduces the risk

of missed anatomy and gives clinicians greater control of the procedure. When treatment becomes more predictable, more cases can be completed confidently in-house and more of them progress naturally to their restorative phase.

The most striking figures come from modelling a conservative three surgery practice.

The assumptions are simple:

• Three dentists

• Each retains one additional RCT per week

• Average fee £650

• Gross profit approximately £540 per case

Under these ordinary working conditions the annual revenue uplift for RCTs alone is £93,600. Gross profit sits between £77,000 and £80,000.

When the associated crown work is included, based on 80 percent of completed RCTs requiring a crown at an average fee of £850, the additional annual revenue becomes £97,920.

The combined uplift for endodontic and restorative revenue in this conservative model is £191,520 per year.

Return on investment in practical terms

Most microscopes in general practice cost between £8,000 and £25,000. A realistic

mid-point is £15,000. When set against an uplift of £191,520 per year, the return on investment becomes very clear.

At that revenue level the weekly uplift is approximately £3,990. Using this figure, a £15,000 microscope is covered in around 3.7 weeks.

Even with extremely cautious assumptions the picture remains strong. Consider a scenario where the entire practice retains only one RCT per week with no associated crown income and a profit per case of £400. In that model the return on investment is approximately 37.5 weeks, which is just under nine months.

This range, from very conservative to realistic, is why the adoption period for microscopes often sits between four and eight months, with high performing practices recovering the cost far sooner.

Why the financial argument matters now

The UK dental landscape is becoming more competitive and more patient driven. Practices are expected to provide continuity of care, modern

treatment experiences and consistent clinical outcomes. Retaining predictable endodontics in-house supports all three of these expectations. It also strengthens practice stability because it reduces avoidable leakage of revenue and enhances the restorative workflow.

Better visibility makes endodontics less uncertain for clinicians and more reassuring for patients. The improvement in predictability is what drives the financial return.

A simple conclusion

Microscopic endodontics is not only about clinical refinement. It is about financial clarity. By improving visibility, practices retain more endodontic work, complete more restorative cases and experience fewer unplanned losses.

When combined with the modest cost of equipment, the overall financial picture becomes hard to overlook. The return is driven by ordinary weekly behavior and by a treatment line that already exists within the practice.

Predictability supports revenue, and revenue supports resilience. Microscopic endodontics strengthens both.

If you’d like to explore whether microscopic endodontics is the right next step for your practice, feel free to reach out. We can help you model the financial impact and understand the practical considerations before you invest.

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