Gen Dent. 2024 Jul-Aug;72(4):44-49.
Dental anxiety poses challenges for providing effective oral healthcare. While therapy dogs have shown promise in various medical and mental health contexts, their use for alleviating dental anxiety in adults remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the emotional and physiologic effects of therapy dogs on self-reported dental anxiety. Adults with dental anxiety were randomly assigned to an intervention group (DOG; n = 19) or a standard care group (SC; n = 14). Standard self-report measures were used to assess dental anxiety (Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear [IDAF-4C+]), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire 9), and generalized anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7) prior to the intervention. Participants in the DOG group received a 10-minute therapy dog intervention before dental procedures in sessions 1 and 2, while participants in the SC group rested quietly for 10 minutes before their procedure. The SC participants received the 10-minute therapy dog intervention before dental procedures in the third and final session, while patients in the DOG group received no intervention prior to their third procedure. After the dental procedures, patients completed a questionnaire about their satisfaction with the dog therapy (Therapy Satisfaction Scale) and recorded their anxiety and comfort levels on visual analog scales. Continuous electrocardiographic recording measured heart rate variability during the intervention and dental procedure. Prior to the intervention, most participants (90.9%) met the IDAF-4C+ criteria for dental anxiety, with 7 (21.2%) meeting the criteria for dental phobia. The DOG group participants expressed high satisfaction with the therapy dog intervention. No significant differences in heart rate variability were observed between the groups during dental procedures. Therapy dogs can effectively manage dental anxiety in adults with mild to moderate dental anxiety, offering potential benefits for oral healthcare.
牙科焦虑症给提供有效的口腔保健带来了挑战。虽然治疗犬在各种医疗和心理健康环境中已经显示出了潜力，但它们在缓解成人牙科焦虑症方面的应用仍未得到充分探索。本研究旨在调查治疗犬对自我报告的牙科焦虑症的情绪和生理影响。将有牙科焦虑症的成年人随机分配到干预组（DOG；n = 19）或标准护理组（SC；n = 14）。在干预前，使用标准的自我报告量表评估牙科焦虑症（牙科焦虑和恐惧指数[IDAF-4C+]）、抑郁（患者健康问卷 9）和广泛性焦虑（广泛性焦虑症 7）。DOG 组的参与者在第 1 次和第 2 次治疗中接受了 10 分钟的治疗犬干预，而 SC 组的参与者在治疗前安静地休息 10 分钟。在第 3 次也是最后一次治疗中，SC 组的参与者在牙科治疗前接受了 10 分钟的治疗犬干预，而 DOG 组的参与者在第三次治疗前没有接受任何干预。在牙科治疗后，患者完成了一份关于他们对狗疗法满意度的问卷（治疗满意度量表），并在视觉模拟量表上记录他们的焦虑和舒适度水平。连续心电图记录测量了干预和牙科治疗过程中的心率变异性。在干预前，大多数参与者（90.9%）符合 IDAF-4C+的牙科焦虑症标准，其中 7 名（21.2%）符合牙科恐惧症标准。DOG 组的参与者对治疗犬干预表示高度满意。在牙科治疗过程中，两组的心率变异性没有显著差异。治疗犬可以有效地管理轻度至中度牙科焦虑症患者的牙科焦虑症，为口腔保健带来潜在益处。
