Do Therapy Dogs Improve Behavior and Reduce Anxiety in Pediatric Dental Patients?

Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)

Status: Invitation-only

Conditions: Dental Anxiety; Anesthesia, Local; Child Behavior; Therapy Animals

Treatments: Behavioral: Therapy Dog

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06057090

Pro00129098

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this clinical trial is to assess whether the presence of a certified therapy dog during dental procedures that require an injection reduces anxiety and improves behavior in pediatric dental patients.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does the presence of a certified therapy dog during dental procedure requiring an injection reduce anxiety and improve behavior in pediatric dental patients?
• How do the parents of pediatric dental patients who participate in the study view the use of a certified therapy dog in their child's treatment?
• Does the presence of a certified therapy dog result in different concentrations of microbes in the treatment room?

All participants will receive standard of care. Researchers will compare the group with a therapy dog present to a group who does not have a therapy dog present to see if heart rate, oxygen saturation, percentage of nitrous oxide administered, and Frankl scores differ between the groups.

Enrollment: 70 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 3 to 7 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 3-7
• Children who are patients at the Medical University of South Carolina Department of Pediatric Dentistry
• Children classified as category 1 or 2 according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification
• Children whose parents/guardians are willing to consent to the child participating in the study
• Availability of parent to be present during treatment
• Children who require further care that includes the injection of a local anesthetic and whose procedure will take less than one hour

Exclusion criteria

• Patients whose cases are considered emergencies
• Patients who are classified as category 3 or higher according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification (6)
• If patient's medical status has worsened since initial evaluation
• Known allergy to dogs or other animals
• Past history of dental trauma
• Past history of animal bites or traumatic experience with a dog
• Emotional or developmental delays
• If, on the day of the treatment, patient presents with fever or other illness

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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70 participants in 2 patient groups

Therapy Dog

Experimental group

Description:

This group will have a certified therapy dog present in the treatment room throughout the procedure. Prior to the procedure, the participant will be briefly introduced to the therapy dog and handler, who will remain in the room until the end of the procedure.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Therapy Dog

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

The control group receives standard of care and does not have a therapy dog present in the room during their treatment.