Root Canal Treatment in Encinitas
Relieve the pain and save the tooth
A root canal at McElroy Smiles in Encinitas relieves the pain of an infected tooth and saves it from extraction. Using modern imaging and gentle technique, we remove the infection, clean and seal the tooth, and restore it with a crown. With thorough numbing and sedation options, the procedure is far more comfortable than its reputation
Do you need a root canal?
Signs that a tooth may be infected include sharp pain when you bite, lingering sensitivity to hot or cold, a pimple-like bump on the gum, swelling, or darkening of the tooth. These usually mean decay has reached the nerve. If you notice them, call us, because a root canal is often the one treatment that saves the tooth and ends the pain.
What happens during a root canal?
We thoroughly numb the area, then remove the infected tissue from inside the tooth, clean and disinfect the canal, and seal it. We finish by restoring the tooth, often with a crown, either a same-day single crown with CEREC or one made by a trusted master lab our doctors control. For anxious patients, nitrous, oral, and IV sedation are available.
Does a root canal hurt?
A root canal relieves pain, it does not cause it. The tooth is fully numbed first, so most patients feel little more than during a routine filling. Mild soreness afterward is normal and settles quickly. The lasting result is a tooth that no longer hurts and that you get to keep.
No. The tooth is completely numbed before treatment, so the procedure itself feels similar to a filling, and it relieves the pain the infection was causing. Some tenderness for a day or two afterward is normal and eases on its own.
Yes. For patients who feel anxious, we offer nitrous, oral, and IV sedation, and Dr. Greg McElroy is among a small number of dentists certified in IV sedation. We match the level of comfort to you so the visit is calm and easy.
An untreated tooth infection does not resolve on its own and can spread, cause an abscess, and eventually cost you the tooth, along with more time and expense. Treating it promptly with a root canal usually saves the tooth and ends the pain.
Yes. Root canal therapy removes infection from inside the tooth, relieves pain, and helps preserve your natural tooth structure so you can avoid extraction whenever possible.
