Support @ ADA NDL: Animal-assisted therapy in dentistry: Animal-assisted therapy in dentistry

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Originally developed to support the ADA News Bulletin, November 2022, Issue 525, practice article on Dogs and Dentistry (37-38), this guide provides a range of practice and evidence-based resources on the topic of animal assisted therapy in dentistry.

Associated terminology for Animal-assisted Therapy (AAT):

Animal-assisted Interventions (AAI)
Canine-assisted Interventions (CAI)
Dog-assisted Therapy (DAT)

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Created: 3 August 2025

Policy Statements and guidelines

ACIPC Position Statement. Animals in Healthcare Settings
Produced by the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC) this position statement provides direction for the management of animals in health care settings. Revised March 2024.
ADA Infection Control Practical Guide - A14 Assistance dogs, therapy dogs and their associated issues in dentistry
There are three situations under which the situation of having a dog enter a dental practice arises. The first is when the patient has a disability and uses an assistance dog (also known as a service dog); the second is when a patient or staff member brings in their own pet with them to the clinic; and the third is when the dental practice has a “therapy dog” with which they allow patients to come into contact to reduce their anxiety. Last updated 29 August 2024

Journal articles

Considerations for the use of Animal Assisted Therapy in Dentistry

Dogs in Dentistry. Appropriate management in a practice environment. (November 2022). ADA News Bulletin, Issue 525, 37-38.

Animals in healthcare facilities: recommendations to minimize potential risks.
Murthy, R., Bearman G., Brown, S., Bryant, K., Chinn, R., Hewlett, A., et al. (2015). Animals in healthcare facilities: recommendations to minimize potential risks. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 36(5): 495–516. https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2015.15
Canine-Assisted Interventions in hospitals: best practices for maximizing human and canine safety
Barker, S.B., & Gee, N.R. (2021, March 30). Canine-Assisted Interventions in hospitals: Best practices for maximizing human and canine safety. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8, 615730. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.615730
Considerations for utilization of Animal-Assisted Therapy in pediatric dentistry practice.
Guram, J.S., Williams, D.S., & Marshall, J.L. (2023, May 15). Considerations for Utilizationof Animal-Assisted Therapy in pediatric dentistry practice. Journal of Dentistry for Children, 90(2), 70-75.
Dog‐assisted therapy in the dental clinic. Part B. Hazards and assessment of potential risks to the health and safety of the dental therapy dog
Gussgard, A.M., Weese, J.S., Hensten, A., Jokstad, A., Weese, S.J., & Jokstad, A. (2019). Dog‐assisted therapy in the dental clinic. Part B. Hazards and assessment of potential risks to the health and safety of the dental therapy dog. Clinical and Experimental Dental Research, 5(6), 701-711. https://doi.org/10.1002/cre2.239
Dog‐assisted therapy in the dental clinic: Part A. Hazards and assessment of potential risks to the health and safety of humans
Gussgard, A.M., Weese, J.S., Hensten, A., & Jokstad, A. (2019, December). Dog‐assisted therapy in the dental clinic: Part A—Hazards and assessment of potential risks to the health and safety of humans. Clinical and Experimental Dental Research, 5(6), 692-700. https://doi.org/10.1002/cre2.240
Evaluation of risk of zoonotic pathogen transmission in a university-based Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) program
Boyle, S.F., Corrigan, V.K., Buechner-Maxwell, V., & Pierce, B.J. (2019, June). Evaluation of risk of zoonotic pathogen transmission in a university-based Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) program. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2019.00167
Introducing a therapy dog into practice
Suedbeck, J. & Reed-Fitzke, K. (2020, January 10). Introducing a therapy dog into practice. Dimensions of Dental Hygiene, 6(1), 40-43.
Is dentistry ready for animal-assisted therapy?
Ohrstrom,A., Bax, N., & Aamodt, G. (2018, August 1). Is dentistry ready for animal assisted therapy? RHD, 38(8): 45-48.

The use of Animal Assisted Therapy in Dentistry

Animal-assisted therapy in dentistry: A review
Mutlu, B., Keskin, M., Kasımoğlu, Y. (2025, April 21). Animal-assisted therapy in dentistry: A review. Essentials of Dentistry. 4, 0022, https://doi.10.5152/EssentDent.2025.24022
Does use of animal therapy during dental care help to reduce anxiety in children and adolescents? A systematic review
Ribeiro, C.D.P.V., Alves, J.B., Kominami, P.A., Takeshita, E.M., Bezerra, A.C.B., & Massignan, C. (2023, March). Does use of animal therapy during dental care help to reduce anxiety in children and adolescents? A systematic review. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry, 33(2), 181-195. https://doi.org/10.1111/ipd.13033
Dog-Assisted Therapy (DAT) for the management of anxiety during paediatric dental care. A scoping review
Garrocho-Rangel, A., Rosales-Bérber, M., Ríos-Méndez, D., Flores-Velázquez, J., Trejo-Herbert, D., Pozos-Guillén, F., & Pozos-Guillén, A. (2024, June 3). Dog-Assisted Therapy (DAT) for the management of anxiety during paediatric dental care. A scoping review. European Journal of Paediatric Dentistry, 25(2), 120-125. https://doi.org/10.23804/ejpd.2024.2001
Dog-assisted therapy for control of anxiety in pediatric dentistry
Pinheiro, S.L., Silva, C., Luiz, L., Silva, N., Fonseca, R., Velasquez, T., & Grandizoli, D.R. (2023, November). Dog-assisted therapy for control of anxiety in pediatric dentistry. The Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, 47(6), 38-43. https://doi.org/10.22514/jocpd.2023.080
Easing anxiety with therapy dogs
Suedbeck, J. & Reed-Fitzke, K. (2019, March 20). Easing anxiety with therapy dogs. Dimensions of Dental Hygiene, 17(3), 31-34.
Evaluating effects of animal-assisted therapy on pediatric dental care patients.
Massouda, J., Ghaltakhchyan, N., Judd, J., Bocklage, C., Selden, R., TumSuden, O., Nanney, E., Lee, J., Ginnis, J., Strauman, T., Sawicki, C., Hodges, E.A., Graves, C., Divaris, K., & Jacox, L. (2025, June). Evaluating effects of animal-assisted therapy on pediatric dental care patients. A pilot clinical trial. Journal of the American Dental Association, 156(6), 447-457.e14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2025.03.006
Nonpharmacological behavior guidance for children during dental treatment visits: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Part 2.
Dhar, V., Jayaraman, J., Marghalani, A.A., Wells, M., Randall, C.L., Law, C., Majstorović, M., Gosnell, E., Townsend, J., Chen, C.Y., & Wedeward, R. (2023, May 15). Nonpharmacological behavior guidance for children during dental treatment visits: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Part 2. Pediatric Dentistry, 45(3), 197-220.
Nonpharmacological behavior guidance for the pediatric dental patient
Dhar, V., Gosnell, E., Jayaraman, J., Law, C., Majstorović, M., Marghalani, A.A., Randall, C.L., Townsend, J., Wells, M., Chen, C.Y., & Wedeward, R. (2023, September 15). Nonpharmacological behavior guidance for the pediatric dental patient. Pediatric Dentistry, 45(5), 385-410
On the use of pets to manage dental anxiety
Manley, L. (2016, January). On the use of pets to manage dental anxiety. Dental Hypotheses, 7(3), 117-119. https://doi.org/10.4103/2155-8213.190518
Patient and caregiver perceptions of animal assisted activity in orthodontics
Cass, K., Bocklage, C., Sulkowski, T., Graves, C., Ghaltakhchyan, N., Rapolla, A., Jackson, T., Divaris, K., Wiesen, C., Strauman, T., Jacox, L., McGuire, B., & González-Ramírez, M.T. (2022, July 21). Patient and caregiver perceptions of animal assisted activity in orthodontics. Animals, 12(14). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12141862
A randomized controlled pilot study examining effects of animal assisted therapy in children undergoing sealant placement
Charowski, M., Wells, M.H., Dormois, L., Fernandez, J.A., Scarbecz, M., & Maclin, M. (2021, January 15). A randomized controlled pilot study examining effects of animal assisted therapy in children undergoing sealant placement. Pediatric Dentistry, 43(1), 10-16.

Animal-assisted therapy in dentistry

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Policy Statements and guidelines

Journal articles

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