Clinical Research Directory
Browse clinical research sites, groups, and studies.
Impact of Therapy Dogs on Child Anxiety and Behavior During Local Anesthesia for Dental Procedures
Sponsor: University of Michigan
Summary
Therapy dogs in dental offices might help anxious children during dental care. Therapy dogs might help children during injection of local anesthetic, when we inject numbing medication before working on the teeth. The goal of this study is to learn if having a therapy dog with a child during the injection of numbing medication helps children to be more comfortable at the dentist's office. This study is of children who need dental care using local anesthesia. Study participant's behavioral reactions and heart rate during injection of local anesthetic with and without having a therapy dog present will be recorded and children and their guardians will be asked a few short questions about the injection and therapy dog after injection.
Official title: Impact of Therapy Dogs on Anxiety and Behavior of Pediatric Dental Patients During Local Anesthesia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
4 Years - 12 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
25
Start Date
2024-11-01
Completion Date
2027-07
Last Updated
2025-12-03
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Conditions
Interventions
Therapy dog presence
A trained therapy dog will be present during the child's dental appointment. The dog will be in the operatory as the child enters the room and will lie on the child during injection of local anesthesia.
Standard-of-care basic behavior guidance
Basic behavior guidance as defined by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry includes strategies to help children cope through potentially stressful dental procedures. These strategies include tell-show-do, positive reinforcement, parental presence, and nitrous oxide/oxygen analgesia, among others.
Locations (1)
University of Michigan School of Dentistry Children's Clinic
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States