Baj I would get a second opinion on all of that. Having a root canal done won't be painful (it's quite fun really), but you may end up with sensitivity later. Also root canals can occasionally fail leading to more dental visits. So make sure you definitely need one. I know someone who had exactly the same tooth break while she was eating (the whole front of the tooth came off) and she had a porcelain onlay put on with no root canal. She is absolutely fine now.
It's unusual to need replacement fillings, they usually last forever unless they have been poorly done. I'd want to know whether any improvement can be made by merely visiting the hygienist and investing in something like a sonicare first and why you need all these fillings. I had a dentist tell me I needed a filling on a back tooth in 2002. I never went back and it's absolutely fine! The same dentist told me an absess was appearing again where I have had a root canal. I've had it checked several times over the years since and no infection is present.
As to your son, these days dentists are far more sensitive to children being frightened and concentrate on preventative work. In the olden days when the NHS paid on a piece basis (and most dentists were nhs), they were far more drill-happy and far more scary!
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