Dental fear

Since qualification, medical doctor Eileen Sanders has been giving injections to patients in subcutaneous tissues and joints, using syringes for lumbar punctures and many other procedures requiring local anaesthesia. However, just the thought of having local anaesthetic at the dental practice fills her with dread.

RH: I understand that, despite handling syringes yourself, you have a deep-seated fear of dental injections?

ES: Yes, I put it down to childhood experience. Our family dentist was a very stern man with a dreadful chairside manner. If you were nervous or anxious, as I was, he would just tell you to 'stop being so stupid'. I remember it vividly as a terrible experience and the injections as being really painful. That memory has never really gone away. I hate going to the dentist. There's absolutely no question about it... I hate it.

RH: So, even after all this time and as a medical doctor you haven't grown out of this fear?