A superscript is in the hands of a good dental hygienist for normal cleaning and will not be painful. If you have gum disease that requires more active treatment, this is used with hand instruments, which may be more painful and sometimes require numbness. Don't worry about it.
Periodontal scaling may be painful, yes, but dentists use local anesthesia (or Novocaine), and you shouldn't experience too much discomfort. The main source of pain is if you have gum disease or a broken tooth, you need a root canal. I've done it several times. For me, the most challenging part is enduring its monotony.
