You’ve heard it likened to just about any painful process that life has to offer. How many of us have uttered these words when faced with a difficult situation, “I’d rather have a root canal!” So just how painful is a root canal? Statistics show that most folks don’t experience much pain at all. In fact, the American Association of Endodontists recently conducted a survey, in which it was learned that root canals generally are only feared by those who haven’t had them. The survey showed that folks who had a root canal performed were actually 3 times more likely to say they didn’t fear another root canal over those who’d never had it done. What’s to be gleaned from this survey? That root canals aren’t nearly as bad as you think. Following is information from a good dentists about what a root canal is and what to expect during the procedure, as well as a checklist of actions you can take following your root canal to recover and speed up healing.