Hi Ethan
Some people have a nearly pain-free experience with it, some not so pain-free. My first suggestion would be, make sure you're not scheduled to work the next day -- it can sap your energy more than you'd expect. When I had three of mine extracted (
quite a few years ago!), everything went well and it was't particularly painful, but I was surprised how wrung-out and exhausted I felt the next day. I hadn't scheduled the day off, so I had to call in.
I think it's be better to be completely knocked out, like you're planning. I opted only for local, and it was a bit unnerving to feel the dentist wrenching my jaw back and forth and around. It didn't help when he held the tooth up to show me
.
My son (in his twenties) had all four extracted a couple of years ago, and unfortunately it turned out to be one of the more difficult examples. His first problem was, he's a smoker (
bad, bad, I know). When those teeth are pulled out, it leaves a sizable hole, and what
should happen is a blood clot forms in the socket, quickly filling it and protecting it. But even the slightest amount of suction in your mouth -- and that includes drinking from a straw or, as my son found out, dragging on a ciggie -- can pull away the clot, creating what they call a 'dry socket', which is quite painful. (He had to wait till morning to see the dentist, who gave him some horrible-smelling gooey brown stuff that filled the socket and made things all better.)
So remember, no smokes, no straws,
nothing that creates suction in your mouth. Even kissing would probably be a no-no, so even if Stevie herself comes up to you and demands a kiss, remember, say
no thank you, I've just had dental surgery. 
I'm sure she'll understand.
Good luck -- we'll be here for ya.
- OT