Little is known about how specific life stressors, such as sexual, physical and emotional abuse and neglect, might be factors in the establishment or maintenance of dental fears or might affect routine dental treatment. The authors collected data from 462 female members of a large urban health maintenance organization about their dental fear and histories of childhood and adult traumas. According to these data, a history of trauma appears to be significantly associated with elevated dental fear, although multiple factors play a major role in the establishment and maintenance of these phobias.