I have had 2, and neither was really that bad. I have had fillings worked on that were worse. My dentist said that the problem most people run into is that they wait until the pain is already excruciating before they come to the dentist. The dentist can only do so much to numb it when the swelling and infection has already inflamed the nerve and made it extra sensitive. In my case, she caught both of them fairly early and we did the root canal before it got inflammed and overly painful.

Relax though...the hard part is over. The worst of the rest is just trying to get your bite right on the new crown.