Jo Jo is a 6-year-old Golden Retriever that is helping kids remain calm during treatments at an Illinois dental clinic. A trained 'Comfort Dog,' Jo Jo allow kids to hold her paws or pet her during the entire procedure.
A visit to the dentist can be quite terrifying for many adults. Just imagine how traumatic it can be for some kids. That's where Jo Jo comes in.
Pediatric Dentistry of Northbrook's Dr. Paul Egger said the little tykes find security and comfort as they pet or hold Jo Jo's paws while the dental team goes to work.
Lynne Ryan, Jo Jo's handler, is a dental assistant at the Pediatric Dentistry of Northbrook. She had the idea of bringing the Golden Retriever to work.
"You have apprehensive kids in the dental office. And what a great job Jo Jo could do here," said Ryan.
Jo Jo works at the Pediatric Dentistry of Northbrook only once a month and only with patients who are comfortable having her around. As a certified 'Comfort Dog,' Ryan takes her to people in need of comfort.
This is not the first time Jo Jo helped kids who are experiencing uneasiness. She also helped many people - both adults and kids - during a rodeo at the Connecticut-based Sandy Hook Elementary School after a 2012 mass shooting left 26 dead and many children traumatized.
According to Dr. Cheryl London from the Ohio State University's Veterinary Medical Center, dogs that perform such tasks must be certified. London added that these therapy dogs are highly screened and trained.
They can provide much comfort to kids but the only disadvantage would be if a child patient has allergies.
Healing Powers Of Man's Best Friend
Trained therapy dogs have been proven to provide comfort when it is best needed. Some funeral homes even hire trained therapy dogs to help mourners deal with the recent loss of their loved ones.
Service dogs are also helping war veterans to ease back into a civilian life after traumatic years in service. Many of these war veterans are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after returning home and experts believe that trained service dogs can help PTSD patients ease into their new life better.
