A Dog at the Dentist Mitigating Anxiety

Barbara Kucera, RDH, BS & ATKINS the dog

Saturday
9:00-11:00am
Location: Winston 1AB, Benton Convention Center, 2019 Annual Session, Winston-Salem, NC

Course Description:

8 out of 10 dental patients have some degree of dental anxiety. 30-40 million Americans have dental phobia, an intense fear that keeps them from the dentist entirely! As dental professionals, what can we do to lower these statistics? This course will give you a deeper understanding and empathy for your patients with dental anxiety and dental phobia. You will learn how a highly trained Rehabilitative Facility Dog, ATKINS, raised and trained by the paws4people® Foundation, is being used successfully with adult and pediatric patients. ATKINS provides deep pressure therapy which is proven to reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure and mitigate anxiety.  ATKINS models behavior for pediatric patients and creates a fun dental experience that will help prevent dental anxiety in adulthood! Barbara will also share the steps to successfully utilize a Facility Dog in your practice: infection control, patients/staff with dog allergies, and choosing the right type of trained dog to ensure success.