I've had 4 root canals now and crowns followed. Never regetted a one, there's alot to be said for painless chewing and hot/cold. I was pretty nervous, but once I got pumped full of novocaine, it was pretty good and reletively painless. During the procedure, if it hurts, tell the orthodontist you need more novocaine. You can get Rx for pain killers for afterward, but I never had to take more than ibuprofen (Advil etc.).
Good luck, you'll be glad you did it!
Oh yeah, the cost is another matter. Hope you have some dental insurance!