Monk's irrational fears in order of severity from most to least are as follows: dentists, germs, needles, milk, death, snakes, mushrooms, heights, crowds, elevators. In the first episode with Traylor Howard, Monk also states that he has a phobia of birth.
The speech Monk gives as the dentist threatens to torture him is reminiscent of John Turturro's famous scene in Miller's Crossing (1990). John Turturro plays Adrian Monk's brother in the series.
This marks the third time Jon Favreau and Brooke Langton have worked together. They have also appeared in Swingers and The Replacements.