There’s a reason kids are excited for dental appointments in Northbrook, Illinois.
The most popular employee at Pediatric Dentistry doesn’t have a D.D.S. She’s not a trained dentist, she’s never worn a pair of rubber gloves, and she doesn’t speak English. But patients absolutely adore her.
Her name is JoJo. She’s six years old.
And she’s a golden retriever.
She’s never handled a dental instrument in her life, but don’t let it fool you – JoJo has a job at Pediatric Dentistry, and she is very good at it. Doctors Thomas Resnick and Paul Egger rely on JoJo to help young patients stay calm. To relax.
JoJo’s a trained comfort dog. She snuggles up close to patients during their teeth cleanings, and her presence helps take their minds off of any unpleasant scraping or prodding. But anxiety runs high all over dentists’ offices, and it’s not always the person in the chair who needs JoJo’s attention.
“It’s stressful on parents too,” said Lynne Ryan, JoJo’s handler. “One mom just sat back and melted with this dog in her arms while the doctor and assistant took care of her child. JoJo has a real sixth sense of who needs her, so we’ll walk into a room and sometimes she’ll beeline to somebody else.”
Doing Her Job
Ryan has worked as a dental assistant for Pediatric Dentistry of Northbrook, Illinois for more than 20 years. One day, she came up with the idea of using a comfort dog to help ease the minds of younger patients who had to suffer through difficult procedures.
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Over time, Ryan acquainted JoJo with some of the more startling or unfamiliar aspects of a dentist’s office – drills, wheelchairs, walkers, and anything else that she might come across while calming patients. Ryan wanted JoJo absolutely ready to help patients forget about the work being done in their mouths.
“JoJo is a distraction tool,” said Ryan, “so the patients don’t focus in as much on the dentistry.”
It’s not just dentistry. JoJo works as a comfort companion for children in school. She visits nursing homes. She spends time with adults who have disabilities. She’s comforted people through natural disasters. She was part of the response to the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Her talents are far reaching, but once a month, she returns to an excited crowd at Pediatric Dentistry. “Our job,” Ryan said, “is to make the patient feel as comfortable as possible, and JoJo is here to help with that.”
Service Dogs in Other Industries
Studies have shown that dogs, like JoJo, don’t just excel at calming children at the dentist. They’re actually an effective treatment for those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Soldiers who have lost their ability to emotionally connect with other people have been able to recover that bond by spending time with service dogs.
It reaches beyond PTSD. Owners with mental health conditions can rely on the friendship and companionship of emotional support dogs to improve their mental wellbeing. Those with physical disabilities can rely on dogs to help manage their limitations.
The work JoJo does in dentists’ offices – or in schools, retirement homes, or shelters –has proven beneficial for those who spend time with her. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has taken notice of such dogs, and are currently conducting studies so they can quantify the benefit of service dogs on people who have suffered traumatic experiences.
If the children at Pediatric Dentistry of Northbrook are any indicator, the results of the study are going to be very, very positive.
