Program Outline:

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) has been studied and used widely in medicine with encouraging findings for its ability to help patients manage fear, anxiety and pain in a myriad of clinical environments. With dental anxiety being a common barrier to care, AAT holds promise in dental contexts as well. This session explores existing evidence regarding the efficacy of AAT in dental contexts, patient demand for AAT in dentistry, and recommendations for implementing AAT in clinical dental practice.  

 Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the effects of animal assisted therapy on pediatric patients receiving routine and restorative dental care. 
2. Understand patient and caregiver demand for AAT in dentistry.
3. Learn the steps to safely introduce AAT into dental practice.
4. Understand the risks, rewards, and methods of managing risks associated with offering canine therapy in practice. 

 Presenter Biography:

Dr. Laura Anne Jacox, DMD, PhD, MS is an Assistant Professor of Research and Orthodontics at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill, Adams School of Dentistry. She is a native of Chicago, Illinois, who moved to Boston to study biology and earth science at M.I.T. While a student there, she discovered her love of research and dentistry, through the mentorship of clinician-scientist faculty. Dr. Jacox pursued her dental and graduate training at Harvard University in the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program, studying craniofacial development. She completed her residency in the Orthodontics Department at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with Dr. William Proffit and completed her post-doctoral research with Dr. Ching-Chang Ko. Dr. Jacox was retained as a tenure track Assistant Professor at UNC where she established her research program. The Jacox lab conducts human translational research in dentistry, with a primary focus on evaluating animal-assisted therapy for management of dental anxiety, with pediatric and behavioral research collaborators. She also studies longitudinal clinical studies of speech distortions in jaw surgery patients. The unifying theme of her research is to improve dental treatment through an enhanced evidence base and minimally invasive interventions. 

HOW DO I ATTEND THIS LIVE WEBINAR?

You must be a current member of the College of Diplomates.  The registration link can be found on the 'Webinars' page located under the 'Members only' tab. If you are an ABPD certified Diplomate and would like to join, please contact the COD Administration Office at info@cod-abpd.org or 858-272-6560.