Animal Assisted Therapy in Pediatric Dentistry
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: +Short AAT, +Long AAT, Active control; NO dog.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Anxiety. Basic parameters: 4 years — 8 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Animal Assisted Therapy's Effects on Young Dental Patients
Overview
A prospective randomized trial measuring physiologic biometrics and perceptions of stress during a pediatric dental exam, cleaning, and simulated radiographs with or without a therapy dog present.
Detailed description
Patients will be consented, enrolled, and randomly assigned to a control group (no dog) or to an experimental group with dog present only before their dental visit for 3 minutes (+ Short AAT) or to an experimental group with dog present throughout their entire visit (+ Long AAT). Control (no dog) patients will have an active control where they color for 3 minutes before their dental exam, cleaning, and simulated radiographs, without a dog present. Biometric data will be collected with a small wireless wrist device (Shimmer 3) which measures heart rate and sweat response (skin galvanic response). Salivary samples will be taken before and after the dental visit to measure salivary cortisol and amylase, as a metric of physiological stress. Finally, a video feed of body movements during the dental visit will be collected for observational coding. Pre-visit and post-visit surveys will be given to all the patients on their experiences regarding pain, anxiety, and perceptions of the dental experience.
Interventions
- Behavioral +Short AAT
Interaction with therapy dog prior to dental exam, cleaning, and simulated radiographs. - Behavioral +Long AAT
Interaction with therapy dog throughout dental exam, cleaning, and simulated radiographs. - Behavioral Active control; NO dog
Color dog picture for 3 minutes prior to dental exam, cleaning, and simulated radiographs.
Primary outcome measures
- Mean Heart Rate during Dental Exam [Time frame: During dental exam, approximately 2- 5 minutes.]
- Mean Heart Rate during Dental Cleaning [Time frame: During dental cleaning, approximately 2- 5 minutes.]
- Mean Heart Rate during Dental Radiograph Simulation [Time frame: During dental radiograph simulation, approximately 2- 5 minutes.]
- Salivary Cortisol during Dental Exam [Time frame: During dental exam, approximately 1-2 minutes.]
- Salivary Cortisol during Dental Cleaning [Time frame: During dental cleaning, approximately 1-2 minutes.]
- Salivary Cortisol during Dental Radiograph Simulation [Time frame: During dental radiograph simulation, approximately 1-2 minutes.]
- Salivary Amylase during Dental Exam [Time frame: During dental exam, approximately 1-2 minutes.]
- Salivary Amylase during Dental Cleaning [Time frame: During dental cleaning, approximately 1-2 minutes.]
- Salivary Amylase during Dental Radiograph Simulation [Time frame: During dental radiograph simulation, approximately 1-2 minutes.]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Subjects must meet all of the following inclusion criteria to be eligible for enrollment in the study:
- 4-8 years of age
- English speaking
- Qualifies for a dental exam and prophylaxis (cleaning) by having not received a dental prophylaxis or oral exam in the past 3 months
- Stable physical health, decided at the discretion of the study coordinator and PI
- Able to comprehend and follow the requirements of the study (including availability on scheduled visit dates) based on research site personnel's assessment
- Evidence of a personally signed and dated informed assent form from the child and legal guardian's consent document indicating the subject (or legally acceptable representative) has been informed of all pertinent aspects of the trial and all of their questions have been answered
Exclusion Criteria: Subjects presenting with any of the following will not be included in the study:
- Patients <4yo and >8yo
- Non-English speakers
- Patients unwilling to assent/participate or parental/guardian consent was not given
- Self-report or parental report of patient suffering current dental pain
- Known allergies or significant adverse reactions following exposure to dogs or the use of oral hygiene products (toothpastes, mouth rinses), and all ingredients in prophy paste
- Children who are afraid of dogs or had a prior negative experience with dogs as reported by the parent or child
- Severe acute or chronic medical or psychiatric condition or laboratory abnormality that may increase the risk associated with trial participation or may interfere with the interpretation of trial results and, in the judgment of the Investigator, would make the subject inappropriate for entry into this trial
- Developmental/cognitive disability such that patient cannot self-assent, comprehend and follow the requirements of the study based on research site personnel's assessment
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Single group
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- General & Oral Health Center — Chapel Hill
Publications
- Kapov G, Linton K, Gatewood C, Liu C, Strauman T, Hodges E, Graves C, Sawicki C, Wu D, Divaris K, Jacox LA. Effects of animal-assisted therapy on dental anxiety, behavior, and perceptions in young pediatric patients: a blinded randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2025 Aug 7;26(1):279. doi: 10.1186/s13063-025-08970-z. PMID 40775655
Identifiers
NCT: NCT05464888 · 22-1454 · UL1TR002489 · K08DE030235 · R03DE032768