How bad is a root canal?

i have them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Then i run up mountains with angry badgers on my back!

:)

i've never had one but i suspect my father has them all the time. His dental activities are very hush-hush, i suspect he is ashamed of them for some reason.

i know my uncle has them, and he's still alive. Then again, he was a high school science teacher for a long time, so root canal probably feels like vacation day for him.