Forty-four per cent of residents in Dubai suffer from acrophobia, while 34 per cent are plagued by claustrophobia, said a recent survey.

A new survey by oral hygiene companies Oral-B and Crest has exposed the public’s phobias and anxieties across the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

More people would rather visit a dentist for treatment than speak in public or encounter a spider, with glossophobia (fear of public speaking) and arachnophobia (fear of spiders) ranked in third (31 per cent) and in fourth (30 per cent) place respectively, compared to only 19 per cent of people afraid of visiting the dentist.

The research was conducted as a continuation to Oral-B and Crest’s ‘Let’s give the UAE a Bigger Smile’ campaign, a drive to educate the local community on oral hygiene and encourage them to visit the dentist more regularly.

Free dental checkups in schools, labour camps and shopping malls have taken place, and the world’s leading oral care brands conducted the survey in an attempt to uncover what might be holding people back from visiting their dentist regularly.

“Oral-B and Crest mission is to educate the community on oral hygiene,” said Ali Faruqi, Oral-B and Crest brand manager (Arabian Peninsula).

“We initially commissioned the survey to see if we could help uncover people’s fears of visiting the dentist, but what it has shown us is there seems to be quite a conundrum between enjoying the high life of Dubai and its high rise living.”

“We are pleased to see that dental phobia scored lower down the list than we expected.  Over the past three years, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, we’ve brought dentists closer to the public through community events delivering over 5,000 free dental checkups,” he added.

“Despite appearing lower down the phobia rankings, one in five people still stated they had a Dental phobia, so we have launched a campaign to help overcome these fears.”

The survey findings showed the top dental worries were fear of pain, sound of dental equipment and embarrassment over the condition of their teeth. This is holding people back from visiting the dentist.

People are advised to visit their dentist every six months, however the research found that 67 per cent of respondents spend periods of longer than six months without a visit, with a worrying 50 per cent waiting two years or even longer for their next check up.

In response Oral-B and Crest have now launched practical advice and tips to help dental phobics overcome their fears, which can be found on the Oral-B and Crest Facebook page ‘Oral-B and Crest’.

There are also plans to hold dental phobia open day sessions in partnership with Dr Michael’s Dental Clinic network.

Dr Michael Formenius, principal owner and clinical director of Dr Michael’s Dental Clinic said: “For those with dental phobia the thought of a dental visit is terrifying.

“Though most dental procedures aren't painful, being examined alone can make people feel stressed and uncomfortable. People with dental phobia also have a higher risk of gum disease and early tooth loss.”

“Poor oral health has been found to be related to some life-threatening conditions, such as heart disease and lung infections.”

“Avoiding the dentist may have emotional costs as well. A damaged tooth can make a person self-conscious and insecure, smiling less or keep their mouths partly closed when they speak,” he added.

Oral-B and Crest commissioned Maktoob to conduct the survey from over 1700 respondents. – TradeArabia News Service