Evaluation of dental anxiety in children with Down's syndrome using dog-assisted therapy: A pilot study

Dental anxiety and fear are the major treatment challenges faced by pediatric dentists. Oral hygiene in children with Down's syndrome is highly compromised in comparison to their healthy counterparts. Animal-assisted therapy, through dogs, has been beneficial in alleviating dental fear and anxiety in healthy pediatric population.

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of dog-assisted therapy (DAT) on children with Down's syndrome undergoing dental examination and fluoride varnish application in dental operatory.

Twenty children with Down's syndrome between 5 and 12 years of age were selected. Group A (intervention group): DAT was carried out in the dental operatory. Group B (control group): Dental treatment was performed in the absence of a therapy dog in the dental operatory. Anxiety levels were evaluated by recording the pulse rate and revised modified faces version of the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale (MCDAS[f]).

The intergroup comparison of pulse rate was done using an unpaired t-test, whereas the variation in intragroup pulse rate was analyzed using the Analysis of Variance test. The anxiety scores were subjected to a paired t-test for intragroup comparison with P < 0.05 considered to be statistically significant.

Reduction in dental anxiety was observed in the intervention group (P < 0.001).

DAT can be used as an effective behavior management technique for children with Down's syndrome undergoing dental examination and simple dental procedures in the dental operatory.