The Explorer Winter 2018 2019WExplorer | Page 16

PEDIATRIC DENTIST SHARES DENTAL
THERAPY DOG SUCCESS STORY
By Kimber Solana
Copyright © American Dental Association. All rights reserved.
improvements in mental, social and physiologic health status.
Because of their ability to reduce anxiety and stress, along with
comforting people, therapy dogs are used in various health care
settings such as hospitals, nursing homes and dental practices.
According to the American Kennel Club, significant advances in
the field of animal assisted therapy and the use of therapy dogs
have been made since the 1980s. Organized therapy dog groups
provide educational material to volunteers, they screen both
volunteers and dogs, and they provide liability insurance for
when the dog and handler are volunteering in a therapy setting.
With the success of Flossie, Dr. Golden said he's been
considering creating a resource for dentists who are interested in
using therapy dogs in their practice.
Dr. Golden began practicing in 1976. He said he considered
acquiring a therapy dog, but because of the small size of his
office, he didn't think it was suitable.
Lexa and Flossie: (From left) Dr. Alan Golden, Elysia Yriarte and
Natalia Caraballo smile for the camera while petting Flossie, a dental
therapy dog, and her half-sister Lexa, a dental therapy dog-in-training.
At the Golden Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, there's a
member of the dental staff that not only has the ability to put
an immediate smile on a patient's face, but also has never
missed a day of work.
"She's entertaining and is just an absolute joy," said Dr. Alan
Golden. "She is an official member of the practice."
Dr. Golden is referring to his 3-year-old dental therapy dog
named Flossie.
At the 10,000-square-foot facility, Flossie is free to run
around with one job: Make people comfortable wherever they
are. Flossie has been coming to the office since she was 8
weeks old in 2012.
"You don't want patients and your dental team tripping over a
dog," he said. "You need space."
Thirty-six years later, along with a much larger dental office —
the main office room alone is about 6,000-square-feet — he
sought a therapy dog.
"I just thought, being in a pediatric practice, children would like
something to play with," he said. "Some dentists have fish tanks
or birds. Some have their dogs in the practice, but I wanted to
do it at the official level."
Dr. Golden went to a dog breeder and settled on a Cavachon, a
hybrid of a Bichon Frisee and King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, a
breed that is hypoallergenic and doesn't shed.
"Some dentists consider rescue dogs, but for me, I couldn't take
the chance, since you can never be sure of their history," Dr.
Golden said.
"I would say, 'Back to work,' and she goes out and finds a lap
to sit on, or sometimes she cuddles with the kids," Dr.
Golden said. "She's good at it." Dr. Golden added he had seen Cavachons in his neighborhood
and thought they were good-looking, smart dogs that are also
relatively easy to train.
According to the ADA Center for Professional Success, a
National Institutes for Health study has found that being in
the presence of a companion animal is associated with "They seem to be very good with children," he said. "I also
wanted a dog big enough to withstand being pushed around by
toddlers, but not so big that they would scare any kids."
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