Using Therapy Dogs to Reduce Anxiety and Improve Behavior in Children Aged 4 to 12 During Local Anesthesia for Dental Care

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to find out if having a therapy dog present during the injection of local anesthetic helps children feel more comfortable at the dentist. It focuses on children aged 4 to 12 who need dental care involving numbing medication, as the injection is often the most anxiety-inducing part of dental treatment. The study compares childrens behavior and heart rate during injections with and without a therapy dog, exploring a new way to manage anxiety in young dental patients. The study has two groups one receives standard behavior guidance during local anesthesia, which includes methods like tell-show-do, positive reinforcement, parental presence, and optional nitrous oxide. The other group has a trained therapy dog present in the operatory, which lies on the child during the injection. Participants will undergo at least two dental procedures requiring local anesthesia, allowing comparison between the two approaches. During the dental visits, childrens behavior is observed and recorded every 30 seconds from entering the operatory through one minute after the injection, using a standard scale. Heart rate is also monitored at the same intervals. Anxiety levels are assessed before and after the injection, and parents complete a questionnaire afterward. The study is randomized and does not use masking. Participation involves behavioral and physiological assessments during usual dental care procedures.

Impact of Therapy Dogs on Child Anxiety and Behavior During Local Anesthesia for Dental Procedures