Reports have surfaced that an 8-year-old girl in England died after developing a dental phobia so severe that she refused to eat.

Sophie Waller’s dental anxiety was so intense that doctors wanted to minimize the number of appointments she needed. So, in 2005, they decided to remove her baby teeth in one hospital surgery.

Unfortunately, following the surgery, young Sophie refused to even open her mouth to eat. She was fed through a tube and ate nothing but some watermelon. A month after her surgery, she died in her sleep.

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• According to a study recently released in Nature, viewing positive images of dentists and dentistry reduces dental anxiety in kids. In the study, children who saw these positive images in the waiting area immediately prior to their appointment had significantly lower levels of anticipatory anxiety and fear.
• Thank heavens! The Chinese government has announced it is cracking down on the chemical fraud that has led to a number of tainted exports – pet food, cough syrup, and (most recently) toothpaste. Dental products in particular are receiving more scrutiny.
• As if dental workers don’t face enough health hazards already (particularly from fillings!): new data suggests that cement in fillings may be linked to asthma in dental assistants. Awesome!