Root canal treatment now part of AB-ArK scheme: Karnataka Health department

Karnataka government will cater to up to 50,000 cases or Rs five crore, whichever is less, the order read.

Bengaluru: The state health department on Thursday approved root canal procedures as a part of the Ayushman Bharat-Arogya Karnataka (AB-ArK) scheme. This will cover root canal treatment for the anterior and posterior tooth.

Root canal treatment is a dental procedure aimed at cleaning, shaping, and filling the root canal system to restore and maintain the health of the tooth and surrounding tissues.

The government’s order said that studies indicate that a significant proportion of patients choose for tooth extraction instead of root canal due to high treatment cost and lack of awareness and in an attempt to promote tooth preservation, improve oral health and reduce avoidable extractions the treatment has been now included under the scheme.

12 procedure codes

The government will cater to up to 50,000 cases or Rs five crore, whichever is less, the order read.

Currently, under the AB-ArK scheme, there are 12 procedure codes under dental, and oral and maxillofacial surgery specialty.