Why is our cause significant?

While a dental office is a place where smiles are created, for some patients the thought of visiting the dentist is not something to smile about. Studies have shown that 61% of people worldwide are afraid of the dentist. And as many as 1 in 3 Americans experience dental anxiety and fear. These patients are less likely to maintain regular dental visits and may have compromised oral health habits.

Why therapy dogs?

Dental Therapy Paws hopes to bridge this challenge for dentists and provide dentists an additional tool to alleviate anxiety in the office. Because therapy dogs are trained to put people at ease, they are a great fit for a dental practice. Our well trained certified therapy dog teams are volunteers that will bring positive vibes, calming effects, and smiles into the dental setting.

We have seen therapy dogs teams prevalent in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and libraries. Multiple research has shown that stroking and cuddling with therapy dogs will lower blood pressure and reduce heart rate. We hope that as more dentists are aware of these positive physiological and emotional benefits, they can use therapy dog teams as one additional way to help their patients feel more comfortable during appointments.

Events & Current News/journal articles

Upcoming event: Dental Therapy Paws & Ohlone Humane Society Pet Therapy Program at the Southern Alameda County Dental Society Give a Kid A Smile and Give a Veteran A Smile Event at the Alameda County Fairgrounds on 2/22/2025 & 2/23/2025

Current Articles highlighting therapy dogs in the dental office:

Impact of the use of therapy dogs in the dental office: A review of Interviews https://dentistry.llu.edu/sites/dentistry.llu.edu/files/2024-12/2023-therapy-dog.pdf

Dental trend to watch: therapy dogs https://blog.edentalsolutions.com/dental-trend-dental-therapy-dogs

Dog-assisted therapy in the dental clinic: Part A — Hazards and assessment of potential risks to the health and safety of humans https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6934338/

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 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6934346/