first ask friends for referrals!!...Dentists are all over the map as to skill in dealing with this problem...and some are MUCH better at avoiding discomfort than others...

there are many good medications these days, and real 'pain' during a procedure is rare...I had one tooth extracted by an expert, who had a lot of work to do on me, but never hurt a bit!!It did hurt a little as the meds wore off, but not nearly as bad as a toothache, and they give you stuff till it stops