Effectiveness of Dog-Assisted Therapy on Compliance and Home Oral Hygiene Activities in Disabled Patients

Recent scientific studies have shown how interaction with an animal can alleviate particular conditions of stress and conflict, thus representing a solid support for minor patients with social behavior problems or with physical or mental disabilities. In this co-therapy, a fundamental role is played by the relationship that is established between the human being and the animal, a very particular relationship capable of bringing about positive changes, in both members, but especially in the man who, benefiting from this push for change, can improve his own situation, whatever it is, and follow with greater interest and involvement the actual therapy activities proposed by the team that is following him.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Oral Hygiene, Oral Health; Dog Therapy; Disabilities
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Oral hygiene with dog therapy

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 80
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Italy
  • Torino, Italy, 10126
    • AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients had to be between 5 and 16 years old;
• Patients with disability;
• Non-collaborating or with limited collaboration (Frankl Scale 1 or 2);
• Patients with a Plaque Control Record (PCR) of 40% or more;
• Patients with partial autonomy in home oral hygiene procedures.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with fear of dogs;
• Patients with dog hair allergy;
• Patients with infectious disease;
• Tetraplegic and visually impaired subjects.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Oral hygiene with dog therapy; use the DAT to support the oral hygiene procedures provided.	Other: Oral hygiene with dog therapy; The DAT session is divided into two phases: a pre-sitting phase in which the patient could interact with the dog, touching, caressing and playing with him, under the supervision of the dog-trainer. This phase lasted about 15 minutes. The second phase was a during-sitting phase in which the dog was in the chair, next to the patient, during the entire oral hygiene procedure, under the supervision of the dog-trainer.
No Intervention: Oral hygiene without dog therapy; make oral hygiene without any type of support

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Plaque Control Record (PCR)	PCR values the presence of dental plaque on the teeth	1 month

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Emotional record	the patient's perception was recorded using a graphic card that represents the moods of the moment of oral hygiene session	1 month

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Turin, Italy

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 1, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): February 15, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 27, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 27, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): December 3, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 19, 2025
• Last Verified: February 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 0000793

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No