London: Adolf Hitler, who once took over Europe and slaughtered millions of people, portrayed himself as one who was afraid of no one. But, there was only one thing the Nazi dictator feared -- visiting the dentist, says a book.
The book, `Dentist of the Devil`, which chronicles the work of Hitler`s personal dentist Johannes Blaschke, has revealed how the Fuhrer once insisted that simple root-canal work was spread over eight days as he couldn`t stand the pain.
Hitler also had "terribly bad breath, abscesses and gum disease" and he put ten fillings into his mouth in 1944 alone, the book says.
In fact, in the book, author Menevse Deprem-Hennen has accessed over a period of six years Blaschke`s hitherto unseen medical files on Hitler and other leading Nazis who were his patients in the 1930s and 40s.
"It was clear that Blaschke was extremely proud of his role as dentist to Hitler, but his patient was not so enthusiastic. He said he `dreaded` getting into the dentist`s chair. The incident about the root canal that he had to do over eight meetings highlights this phobia he had.”
"Also, he suffered more pain following the assassination attempt in July 1944 when he was hit with splinters in the face," the `Daily Mail` quoted her as saying.
And, according to the book, Blaschke noted that much of what caused him pain in later life was probably due to his poor diet as a down-and-out on the streets of pre-WW1 Vienna where Hitler lived like a tramp.
It`s said that Hitler was once so frustrated after talks with Spain`s General Franco failed to bring him into the World War II that he told his Italian ally Benito Mussolini:
"I would rather have two or three teeth out than go through that again!"
PTI
