Hi Louise,
I'm kind of in the same camp as Deb... From all my research, I don't believe root canals are as safe as dentists make them out to be. But that's perhaps a philosophical question for another time. For now, I'll just mention that I had a major tooth problem about five years ago, and was told I needed a root canal and crown (around $2,000). I had read about people doing different experiments with MMS, also known as CDS (Chlorine Dioxide Solution) for oral health.
For some people it can be VERY effective at clearing out oral infections, and in many instances, allows people to avoid having to do a root canal procedure at all. I tried CDS, and though it didn't completely clear out the infection, it made it 95% better, and I've been living with it mostly pain-free for the past five years. I can't help but think if I would discipline myself to apply the CDS more regularly, it could go away entirely. Maybe this week?
Just a tip on avoiding these kinds of situations in the future, I'm convinced people could avoid root canals altogether if they would irrigate with a hydrogen peroxide solution on a regular basis, perhaps 3-4x/week. It does wonders for me. I'm also convinced most people would avoid all cavities it they regularly consumed bone broth, fish oils, taurine, silica, and 5 grams of Vit. C daily. Will do wonders for both the teeth and the bones.
All the best... I hope everything works out well for you!
P.S. I think there's a company that sells a complete line of dental/oral products which focus on chlorine dioxide as the major ingredient for its effectiveness. Don't know the name of it right off hand however.
P.S.S. I know you're planning on doing a laser procedure, but for others who may end up doing dental work with a drill, it's always a good idea to ask they not use a high speed drill. Slower speed drills are not nearly as loud. Dentists like to use high speed drills because it's faster, not because it necessarily better.