Animal Assisted Therapy in Pediatric Dentistry
ConditionAnxiety
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age4-8
SponsorUniversity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
About this trial
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.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
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
Disqualifiers
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
Trial design
Design model
Single group
Treatments tested in this trial
+Short AAT
BehavioralInteraction with therapy dog prior to dental exam, cleaning, and simulated radiographs.
+Long AAT
BehavioralInteraction with therapy dog throughout dental exam, cleaning, and simulated radiographs.
Active control; NO dog
BehavioralColor dog picture for 3 minutes prior to dental exam, cleaning, and simulated radiographs.
Treatment groups
225 Participants
are divided into 3 treatment groupsGroup A: +Short AATExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: +Long AATExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group C: Active control; NO dogActive comparator 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Mean Heart Rate during Dental Exam
Beats per minute during dental exam. Heart rate measured using wrist-worn Shimmer heart rate tracking device.
Time frame
During dental exam, approximately 2- 5 minutes.2
Mean Heart Rate during Dental Cleaning
Beats per minute during dental cleaning. Heart rate measured using wrist-worn Shimmer heart rate tracking device.
Time frame
During dental cleaning, approximately 2- 5 minutes.3
Mean Heart Rate during Dental Radiograph Simulation
Beats per minute during dental radiograph simulation. Heart rate measured using wrist-worn Shimmer heart rate tracking device.
Time frame
During dental radiograph simulation, approximately 2- 5 minutes.4
Salivary Cortisol during Dental Exam
To measure stress levels salivette swab will be placed in child's cheek to absorb saliva. Swabs are spun down for extraction and saliva sample will undergo ELISA assay to measure cortisol level.
Time frame
During dental exam, approximately 1-2 minutes.Sponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Lead sponsor
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
Collaborator
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov