desensitize /dēsen″sitīz/ [L, de + sentire, to feel] , 1. (in immunology) to render an individual insensitive or less sensitive to any of the various antigens. 2. (in psychiatry) to relieve an emotionally disturbed person of the stress of phobias and neuroses by encouraging discussion of the anxieties and the stressful experiences that cause the emotional problems involved. 3. (in dentistry) to remove or reduce the painful response of vital exposed dentin to irritating substances and temperature changes.
