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

Stopped early · Not applicable

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

In brief

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.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06057090

Run by

Medical University of South Carolina

People needed

41

Starts

2023-09-13

Expected to finish

2026-03-31

Last updated by the study team

2026-05-04

Who can join

Age: 3 and older, up to 7. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• 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

You may not qualify if…

• 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

Where it is running

• Medical University of South Carolina Pediatric Dental Clinic — Charleston, South Carolina, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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