Dental phobia killed British girl

An eight-year-old British girl starved to death because of an undiagnosed extreme fear of dentists, a coroner's inquest has found.

A British coroner found Sophie Waller suffered from dental phobia that went undiagnosed and prevented her "from receiving the medical support that could have prevented her death," the Associated Press has reported.

She died of kidney failure caused by starvation and dehydration.

Witnesses told the inquest that Sophie was so afraid of the dentist she refused to eat, sleep or drink after her baby teeth became loose.

Dentists removed all her baby teeth in November 2005 and she was sent home to recover but the problem was not solved.

She died in her bed three weeks later after refusing to eat. She had reportedly lost 11kg since the operation.

Her parents said they had tried to get her to a doctor or psychologist but no one saw Sophie in person before she died.

The hospital has apologised to Sophie's grieving parents saying there had been a breakdown in communication, the BBC reported.

A review had been carried out and changes implemented, it said.

- © Fairfax NZ News