Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of dental fear and its causes among Libyan adolescents and adults in Tripoli city-Libya. Methods: This study was conducted on a sample of 2450 subjects ,768 males  and 1682 females aged from 16 to 65 years. Data were collected using an anonymous close ended self-administrated questionnaire. Results: The Prevalence of dental fear among the study sample was 57.5%. About 40% of males had overall fear compared to 65.5% of females,66% of cases had  negative dental experiences. The most common cause of dislike dental clinic visit as reported was worry about infection control method .Teeth extraction ( 50.7% ) and needle injections ( 46.3% ) were reported as the highest causes of fear. Conclusions:This study found a high prevalence of dental fear among the study population.  Data analysis showed that gender, education and residence are independent risk factors for development of dental fear.