Practicing Dentistry with Certified Therapy Dogs
What patient wouldn’t want to have a cute little Bichon Maltese or Cavapoo cuddle on their lap while having their teeth cleaned? Dr. Jennifer Bryk Hechko’s patients get to do just that when they come to their appointments in her Brecksville, Ohio, pediatric dentistry practice. During her residency at Columbus’ Nationwide Children’s Hospital, she witnessed patients’ anxiety about dental visits. Studies have shown that it’s a common fear, affecting about half of children under 12 and many teenagers.
When Dr. Hechko first took over Brecksville Kids Dentistry in 2017, she knew that having a dog in any room distracts and calms children. She had also seen studies showing that having a living, breathing animal on a patient’s body can decrease heart rates and cortisol levels. Dr. Hechko is a dog lover who happens to be married to a veterinarian, Adam Hechko, ’06 DVM, owner of North Royalton Animal Hospital. She also happens to have an aunt whose two dogs went through therapy dog training. That set the stage for Dr. Hechko’s innovative take on anxiety reduction.
Dr. Hechko’s aunt, a retired nurse, didn’t want to take her therapy dogs to hospitals because she had spent so much time there during her career. So she began taking Emma, a Sheltie, and Balto, a Bichon-Maltese mix, to Dr. Hechko’s office. Although Emma has since passed away, Balto still comes to the office for comfort duty, along with Hechko’s own Cavapoo, Dolly, a poodle-Cavalier King Charles mix certified by the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
As always, Dr. Hechko follows strict infection-control measures when the dogs are in the treatment room, and she and her husband have established safety guidelines for the program. They also give lectures to organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists. How does the process work? Some patients want the dog to sit on their lap during treatment. For others, the dog may sit beside or on the dental chair at their feet, with a handler sitting at the edge of the chair. Either way, it makes a big difference to the kids, and also to their parents.
“The smiles on kids’ faces are electric,” Dr. Hechko says. “They light up when they see Balto and Dolly as if they’re seeing a long-lost friend. Every day, Balto and Dolly are changing the way kids see dentistry.” She says she has so many patients who request a therapy dog to sit with them that parents actually reschedule appointments if a dog is not available.
Balto and Dolly offer comfort and support during both cleanings and operative appointments—but not just for the kids. “Some parents are so anxious about the kids’ treatment that the dogs also serve as a distraction and provide a calming effect for them,” Dr. Hechko reports. She allows parents in the treatment rooms, so they can chat with the handler and pet the dog while she treats their child.