A Fifth Of Women Suffer From Extreme Dental Anxiety

Mon, 13 Dec 2010

Women are twice as likely to suffer extreme anxiety when visiting a dentist compared to men, according to figures released by the NHS Information Centre and the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The figures from the 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey revealed that nearly one in five women and one in ten men in England, Wales and Northern Ireland suffer from extreme dental anxiety .

Researchers asked to more than 11,000 adults to rate the level of anxiety they would feel for various dental situations, including the need to go for dental treatment, sitting in the waiting room and waiting to have a filling .

Almost a third (30 per cent) of respondents said they were extremely anxious about having a tooth drilled and 28 per cent admitted to being extremely anxious about having an injection.

The survey also found that younger adults are more likely to be afraid of the dentist than older ones, with 15 per cent of 16 to 24 year olds suffering from dental anxiety compared with 9 per cent of people aged 85 and over.

Professor Damien Walmsley, scientific adviser for the British Dental Association, commented: "Dentists are skilled practitioners who want to put patients at their ease."

"Increasingly, dentists undertake additional training in techniques, such as hypnosis, sedation and acupuncture, to make the experience comfortable for patients who feel especially anxious about having dental treatment ."
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