Background and objective: Dental phobia is a disorder characterized by fear of the dental clinic and dental treatment itself, difficulty in treatment, and poor oral hygiene. In this report, we describe a case in which a patient with moderate periodontal disease with dental phobia was treated with periodontal therapy and showed improvement. Materials and
Methods: The patient is a 43-year-old male. He had not seen a dentist in 35 years, and presenting symptoms included gingival swelling, redness, and supragingival calculus. Clinical findings were PCR 100%, BOP 100%, periodontal pockets ≥5 mm (10%). The patient was a non-smoker. The diagnosis was localized moderate chronic periodontitis, and treatment consisted of TBI, full mouth disinfection (FMD), and extraction of wisdom teeth in the left and right upper and lower jaws. FMD and extraction were performed under intravenous sedation. After reevaluation, the patient's condition stabilized, and followed by SPT for a year.
Results: After thorough oral hygiene instruction and non-surgical periodontal treatment, PCR was 15%, no periodontal pockets larger than 5 mm, and BOP was 10%. One year has passed since the patient started SPT, and the condition has remained stable. Although the patient was fearful of the treatment, he was relieved that the treatment was completed without pain or unpleasant sounds by using intravenous sedation. The improvement in gingiva and halitosis were noticed and the patient's lifestyle was also affected.
Conclusion: This patient had moderately advanced periodontitis due to poor plaque control without long-term dental intervention. Improvement of plaque control and application of pharmacotherapy, FMD and SPT, led to improvement of periodontal tissues with maintenance of the quality of professional care. It is believed that patients with dental phobia need to be given successful experiences with dental care and to change their own behavior in order to reduce risk factors for periodontal disease.
