Canine Eminence

I'm not a dog guy. I mean, I like dogs. I had dogs in my family as I was growing up, and my grandfather used to raise several different pure breeds. I don't own a dog these days. But seeing this example of behavioral therapy in the dental office with a loving, peaceful golden retriever may be enough for me to get back in the canine saddle.

I started drilling down in to a history of therapy dogs and dentistry.  I found a lot of commentary, but no particular white paper or American Dental Association policy on use of therapy dogs in dentistry. It appears that quite a few people or clinicians are against the thought of dogs in the treatment rooms because it's a messy, germy business. But I think we have to understand the purpose of therapy animals before we can really write off their use in dental visits.

Therapy dogs are used specifically to aid their owners or patients in managing their emotional or behavioral challenges. While it is true that the animals need to be accredited and specifically trained for medical use, there has been no published mandate about stringent gowning or disease precautions in the dental operating theater. Human contact is required for therapy dogs to fulfill their purpose.

In dentistry, it has been estimated that 30% of all patients have disabling anxiety, preventing them from seeking proper dental care. Sedation and general anesthesia has been successful options for those patients. But for numerous reasons, sedation procedures may not be appropriate. I interview and sedate a lot of dental patients, and some people simply can't have the medications

I think it's a great idea. It stands to reason that if a therapy dog with its excellent temperament could consistently not lick my patients on their mouths, and I didn't fulfill the urge to scratch it behind the ears every 2 minutes, that we could have a pretty great situation for anxious patients.


Thanks to Scott Clampett for the aforementioned link.