Dental anxiety

First, a little background since I haven't really been keeping up: about a week ago, I discovered that the top of one of the 'bumps' on my lower right molar had come off, leaving a scoop-shaped cavity. I've dealt with previous dental problems by extraction, but this tooth seems to be in good enough shape. So I talked to my boss, who happens to be married to a very nice dental hygenist, about my options and getting in to see her boss and so on.

Well, the first stumbling block - getting a ride to the next town over, where his office is, since I have no car of my own - has been dealt with after talking to sbloss and biomekanic. Now I'm free to worry about the next issue in the queue, the cost of fixing (vs. removing) a tooth, and my anxiety about the procedure itself has popped up in that second slot. Which means, I suppose, that once I find out just how much I'll have to pay and get that handled, the dentist-fear will grow from "vague concern" to "paralytic" as it comes to the front of the line.

EDIT: ( Well, this either complicates or simplifies things, or both )