7-Year-Old Boy With Three Cavities Instantly Calms Down Once Dentist Puts Therapy Dog On His Lap

Mar 17, 2019 by apost team

No one enjoys hearing that they have a cavity. It’s one of those unfortunate moments that has us kicking ourselves for forgetting to brush our teeth before bed or chomping away on sugary candy. However, for most of us, cavities are just a fact of life.

7-year-old Landon Mitchell got the bad news during a routine visit to his dentist. He had 3 cavities that would all be filled during one appointment with his dentist. As is typical of most children, Landon was never a fan of the dentist.

However, when he woke up on the day he was scheduled to have his cavities filled, Landon was incredibly excited to get to the dentist’s office. He couldn’t wait to see his special friend.

Dr. Jennifer Bryk Hechko, Brandon’s Landon’s pediatric dentist, has a special team member in her office. Her aunt’s Maltese mix, Balto, spends days at the office, helping children to relax and enjoy the dentist. Weighing just 10 pounds, Balto is the perfect buddy for Dr. Jen’s young patients.

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In an adorable video, you can see Landon immediately relax and shift to a happy mood as Balto is placed in his lap in the dental chair.

Balto snuggles up affectionately to Landon as the boy pets him, clearly knowing exactly what type of affection Landon needs during his procedure.

A therapy dog is simply a dog that has been trained to provide some level of comfort, affection and attention to people that are in a situation where people can benefit from that type of companionship.

Hospitals, nursing homes, schools, shelters, hospices, and certain disaster areas are all common places that therapy dogs utilize their calming demeanor and friendly disposition to provide comfort and companionship to humans.

The use of therapy dogs is credited to the development of the program by Elaine Smith in 1976. She realized that patients she worked with were responding in an incredibly positive way to a golden retriever that visited her medical facility with a chaplain.

Many therapy dogs are even used for specific activities.

For example, many patients in nursing homes or hospitals respond positively when they take time to read to a therapy dog or participate in creative activities involving the pups.

Unlike service dogs, therapy dogs are not required to undergo any type of extensive training and are also not protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Dr. Jen is currently working on a research project that will delve into the bond between humans and animals. Have you ever had an experience with an animal that immediately took away your stress? Tell us all about your favorite experiences with your fluffy friends!