> That's why, in the long run, implants are better than root canals, esp. for people w/ chronic health conditions.
I tend to agree with this statement, however going under the knife is ALWAYS SCARY and you never get used to surgical procedures.
The long-long wait (of up to 18 months -- which usually less but just in case there are complications -- is another thing you might want to consider very carefully.
Also consider implants are far more expensive than root canals.
All in all, perhaps the greatest advice is the following: Don't let anyone do any of your root canals.
FYI, there are many dentists who routinely mislead us. In reality, there is no such thing as "the nerve has died, so in order to save the tooth, we need to do a root canal."