Dental Phobia, or the fear of dental visits, has been popularized in pop culture via comic film and cartoon scenes in which dental patients are often perceived as nervous and jittery while waiting in dental clinic waiting rooms. This kind of irrational fear does exist though and with the growth in dental treatments in the Kingdom, it has become an ever-increasing problem here. Needle phobia and horror stories from friends or colleagues can put people off visiting the dentist even if they badly need treatment. This neglect can lead to long term and serious oral health problems, and often result in painful and expensive surgery later. Dental Phobia is a public health phenomenon which basically means a strong fear of the dental clinic and dentists themselves. Fear of visiting the dentist is a completely understandable human emotion, and affects many people in varying degrees around the world; the best way to overcome this fear is to think about where it originated from and to confront it. Dental Phobia varies for different people depending on their experience and their nature. Dr. Rajaa Mashhour, a Dentist in Jeddah spoke to Saudi Gazette and explained: “Women usually fear more than men, young more than adults, as well as those who have previously experienced surgery as opposed to those who have just had routine cleaning done.” Eman Ahmad, an 18 year old from Jeddah has previously had a bad experience at the dental clinic, and finds it difficult to forget the blood she saw and pain she experienced there. “I have since tried to protect my teeth from decay and tartar in order to avoid the clinic as much as I can,” she said. Needle phobia or Aichmophobia is the fear of needles and treatments involving needles; around eight percent of all dental patients report that they fear injections. Areej Al-Harbi, a 26-year-old woman from Jeddah told Saudi Gazette that her fear of dentists began when she was very young because of her older sister's terrible experience and proclaimed fear of “big needles.” She added that this fear deepened because of her mother who used the phrase “be quiet or I will take you to the doctor” as a form of warning. Dentists for their part are trained to deal with anxious or uncomfortable patients before or during their visits, and will be more than happy to help put their patient's mind at ease. Dr. Abdunasseer Sukaria, an oral surgery consultant explained to Saudi Gazette that “dental phobia may lead patients to the hysterical level where they cannot control themselves and their reactions but we are trained to cope with such cases.” Bedoor Hamdan, a 20-year-old from Jeddah, however, only seems to fear visits to the dental clinics. She told Saudi Gazette that she often lies in order to get away, telling the dentists one day, for instance, that she had forgotten something in the car and never went back. Discussing such fears with dentists themselves or specialists about previous experiences can help patients in accepting their fear and facing it gradually. According to Dr. Sukaria, Dental Phobia can be overcome through the process of familiarization. As the number of visits increases, patients will be able to overcome the psychological barrier. One major reason for this fear is also the fact that all dental work is done in the mouth which is considered the entrance to a person's vital functions. Not being able to use the mouth to voice complaints and fear or express discomfort only serves to augment the fear. “Patients feel nervous and as if their lives are in danger because they can't use the very important functions of speaking, eating and sometimes even breathing openly,” Dr. Sukaria remarked. This problem isn't limited to the Kingdom, however. A survey by the British Dental Association indicates that 25 percent of people suffer from anxiety before visiting the dentist. This means that “25 percent of the British population must either try their best to cope with their dental phobia, or risk their oral health by not visiting the dentist at all, which could lead to long term serious health problems and result in lengthy and expensive surgery.” High levels of professionalism demonstrated by the dentists can also help assuage any fears. Dr. Sukaria advises all dentists to improve their knowledge in order to help them understand patients. He acknowledged however, that some dentists are incapable of such professionalism and can increase patients' apprehensions instead.
