Overcoming dental phobia in a pregnant woman for nonsurgical management of pregnancy epulis.

Dental phobia (DP) is defined as a specific phobia, which is the fear or anxiety circumscribed to a particular situation or object in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision. When an individual with a specific phobia encounters the phobic object or situation, they could feel startled or experience fear or anxiety. DP often results from a distressing dental experience, a lack of understanding by the dentist, the noises from the dental clinic and other factors. DP leads to avoidance of dental clinic visits, ultimately resulting in worsening dental diseases. Exposure therapy is effective in reducing DP, and a strong dentist-patient relationship can alleviate DP and facilitate smooth dental treatment performance. Herein, we report the case of a pregnant woman with DP who received regular professional oral healthcare and effective management to reduce her phobia.