Had a root canal last summer to replace a broken molar (broke off at the gum line - very unusual - while I was chewing a granola bar) and it was uncomfortable but not painful.
Contrast that with the time I was 19 (a dependent) and had a lower wisdom tooth removed by a USAF dentist. He told me to make a fist and put it under my chin. Didn't tell me why. Then he took a chisel, pressed it against my tooth, and hit it with a hammer to split the tooth. He said it was easier to get out that way.
Oh, yes, he did numb it first. And he had me put my fist under my jaw to keep from breaking it with the impact of the hammer. Military dentistry, what can I say?
