Impact of Therapy Dogs on Child Anxiety and Behavior During Local Anesthesia for Dental Procedures
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age4-12
SponsorUniversity of Michigan
About this trial
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.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Age range: children aged 4- to 12-years
Health status: healthy children without significant medical conditions (ASA I or ASA II)
Dental procedure: children scheduled for at least two dental procedures requiring local anesthesia
Consent: written informed consent from the parent or legal guardian
Disqualifiers
Allergies: children with known allergies to dogs or animal dander
Children with a fear or phobia of dogs
Children with a behavioral disorder which may negatively impact response to the presence of a therapy dog
Previous exposure: children who have previously undergone dental procedures with local anesthesia in the presence of a therapy dog
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Therapy dog presence
- Standard-of-care basic behavior guidance
Treatment groups
25 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsSponsors and collaborators
Source ClinicalTrials.gov