Fear of the Dentist

I was born in 1948, the year the National Health Service was introduced in the UK. It meant that my healthcare was better than my parents had had as children because it was "free at the point of need" although paid for through taxes by all working people. It included free dental care for children so I had regular check-ups by the dentist from a young age.

My first memory of the dentist is when I was about seven years old and I had to have a tooth extracted. I was given gas and air and I remember vividly coming round from the anaesthetic. I became conscious seeing a coloured spiral in my mind. I promptly vomited. I remember the horrible thing the dentist put in my mouth to hold it open before putting the anaesthetic mask over my face. It felt as if it was pushing my jaws apart.

I had the occasional filling but, overall, my teeth were reasonable for my age and the time period when sweets (candies) were widely eaten by children without the restrictions that many parents put in place today. I didn't enjoy going to the dentist but I wasn't scared to death either.

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While I was still a child, in spite of my dental phobia, I still had to have check-ups twice a year but once I was an adult, these became less frequent until finally I only went to the dentist when I was in so much pain I had no choice.

Of course, this is a terrible way to behave. My oral hygiene suffered and problems with my teeth were serious by the time I finally plucked up courage to make a dental appointment. When this happened after I moved from London to the county of Wiltshire, I decided I had to confront my problem. I looked through Yellow Pages and chose a private dentist (not a National Health one) in the centre of the nearest city. I reasoned that business rent and taxes would be high so the dentists would have to be nice and kind to their patients otherwise patients would not be prepared to pay for treatment.

I phoned and explained briefly to the receptionist that I was phobic and asked to speak to a dentist. She got the dentist to call me back and I talked to him in detail about my dental phobia. He reassured me most convincingly. He made an appointment to see me and promised he wouldn't do anything at all unless I agreed. I kept the appointment, I'm delighted to say.

This dentist is a really lovely man and now I don't dread going for dental check-ups or treatment. It didn't happen suddenly but gradually I realised that dentistry doesn't have to hurt. Dentists aren't sadists who delight in terrifying and torturing their patients. I knew I was cured when I could laugh and joke with the dentist and his nurse. I don't shake anymore. I don't have sleepless nights before an appointment. My oral hygiene is good and my dentist is a friend.

My recommendation to anybody who suffers from dental phobia is to find the right dentist even if it means being pushy and 'interviewing' dentists before choosing one. After all, if a dentist doesn't have the patience and sensitivity to discuss dental phobia, then it's unlikely to be the right dentist for anybody who is phobic.

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