Patient Management
Aishleen Scully, DDS (she/her/hers)
Pediatric Dental Resident
NYU Langone Pediatric Dentistry- San Diego, CA
San Diego, California, United States
Wai-Yin Chan, DMD
NYU Langone Pediatric Dentistry- San Diego, CA
San Diego, California, United States
Wai-Yin Chan, DMD
NYU Langone Pediatric Dentistry- San Diego, CA
San Diego, California, United States
Daniel J. Kane, DMD, MA
Program Director
NYU Langone Hospitals
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Purpose: The objective of this cross-sectional study is to determine caregiver attitudes regarding the use of therapy dogs (Animal Assisted Therapy; AAT) in a pediatric dental clinic.
Methods: A paper survey was given to caregivers who accompanied a child ages 0-13 for their dental examination. The survey contained six questions on acceptability of AAT using a five-point Likert scale on the topics of: fear of dogs, opinions on presence of dogs in the waiting room and treatment area, questions on allergies and pet ownership. There were seven demographic questions, and three open-ended questions.
Results: AAT acceptance ranged from 6 (high acceptance) to 30 (low acceptance) with average score of 7.93 (standard deviation 4.57). Non-dog owners’ AAT score was 8.84 (5.10) and dog owners’ AAT score was 6.9 (3.64) (P=.003). Dog owners were less likely to be concerned compared to non-dog owners regarding having a therapy dog in the waiting room (dog owner: 1.14, value non dog owner: 1.44, P=.013). The children of non- dog owners were more likely to have a fear of dogs compared to dog owners (1.56, 1.12, respectively, P= < .001). There was no difference in AAT acceptance score based on race, gender, or the adult’s relationship to child (P=.266, P=.906, P=.386 respectively).
Conclusion: Dog-owners are more likely to accept the use of AAT in pediatric dentistry whereas non dog-owners are not.