I had my upper left wisdom tooth removed earlier this year. By the time I'd got it removed it had broken down to not much there but a sliver. Even with very little tooth there the extraction didn't hurt. I had very little pain at all and kicked myself that I waited so long to have it removed. Apparently the lower ones hurt a lot more because they're part of the jawbone but the upper ones aren't.
Are there any dentists around that could do in chair sedation for you? I had the option of a 'green whistle' but didn't need it at all.