For many children, dental appointments provoke significant anticipatory anxiety and situational fear (AA&SF), often stemming from perceived threats in the clinical environment. As the use of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) expands across social work and medical settings, researchers investigated whether certified therapy dogs could help alleviate these emotional responses during pediatric dental care.
The intervention, termed Canine Support in Pediatric Dentistry, was designed for children aged 8–12 with documented AA&SF. Using a time-series design, the study enrolled 18 participants who experienced the presence of a trained therapy dog during their dental visit. Data were collected through surveys, observational measures, and analyses of salivary biomarkers—including cortisol, alpha-amylase, and a refined method for assessing oxytocin.
Guardian feedback indicated exceptionally high acceptability: 83% deemed the intervention acceptable, and 100% reported appreciating the dog’s presence for their child. No safety concerns emerged during the study. Physiologically, oxytocin levels tended to rise across time points for most participants, suggesting increased relaxation and social bonding, while cortisol levels generally declined, indicating reduced stress. Alpha-amylase showed patterns similar to oxytocin, providing additional insight into stress modulation.
Although some biomarker trends did not reach statistical significance due to the small sample size, the overall findings demonstrate that therapy dog support is a feasible and effective non-pharmacological strategy for reducing children’s anxiety in dental settings. Moreover, the study provides a replicable model for integrating AAIs into other medical environments where children may encounter fear-inducing situations.
This work underscores the potential of therapy dogs to improve pediatric patient experiences, support emotional regulation, and contribute to a more compassionate healthcare environment.
Source: Vincent, A., Heima, M., & Farkas, K. (2020). Therapy Dog Support in Pediatric Dentistry: A Social Welfare Intervention for Reducing Anticipatory Anxiety and Situational Fear in Children. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. Published September 15, 2020.
