, ▁behaviour al ▁and ▁cogn itive ▁factors . ▁ ▁In ▁comparison ▁to ▁other ▁ph ob ias , ▁literature ▁on ▁od ont oph ob ia ▁is ▁relatively ▁limited . ▁There ▁are ▁several ▁theories ▁been ▁proposed , ▁however ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁review ▁describes ▁ 5 ▁path ways ▁which ▁relate ▁specifically ▁to ▁development ▁dent al ▁fear ▁and ▁anx iety : ▁C ogn itive ▁Cond ition ing , ▁Vic ari ous , ▁Ver bal ▁Th re at , ▁Inform ative , ▁and ▁Par ental . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁important ▁to ▁note , ▁however , ▁that ▁there ▁may ▁be ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁background ▁factors ▁common ▁to ▁all ▁general ▁fear ▁and ▁anx iety ▁conditions ▁that ▁may ▁be ▁at ▁play ▁and ▁affect ▁these ▁more ▁specific ▁path ways . ▁ ▁Cond ition ing ▁ ▁Cond ition ing ▁is ▁defined ▁as ▁the ▁process ▁by ▁which ▁a ▁person ▁lear ns ▁through ▁personal ▁experience ▁that ▁an ▁event ▁or ▁stim ulus ▁will ▁result ▁in ▁a ▁det r iment al ▁outcome , ▁e . g . ▁" if ▁I ▁visit ▁the ▁dent ist , ▁it ▁is ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁s ore ". ▁As , ▁expected ▁dent al ▁fear ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁previous ▁tra um atic ▁experiences , ▁especially ▁their ▁first ▁one . ▁It ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁most ▁commonly ▁used ▁path way ▁for ▁patients ▁to ▁develop ▁dent al ▁fear ▁and ▁anx iety . ▁ ▁Inform ative ▁ ▁This ▁indirect ▁path way ▁rel ates ▁to ▁fear ▁ac quisition ▁through ▁gain ing ▁information ▁and ▁becoming ▁bias ▁to ▁the ▁dent al ▁environment ▁from ▁dent al