Reliability and validity data are presented for the dental fear thermometer, an analogue scale of dental fear. Test‐retest reliability over approximately two months was 0.78. Correlations with the Corah, Gale, and Illig (1978) Dental Anxiety Scale and with estimates of dental fear made by dentists were 0.61 and 0.49 respectively. Therapy produced a significant reduction in the mean fear thermometer score for a group of dental phobics. Horizontal or vertical presentation of the thermometer had no significant effec