I was terrified of being at the dentist - then I met Ollie and my life changed

“Dentistry isn’t an easy profession, nobody tells us that coming here is the best day of their life. But Ollie has been a game changer ... he’s a very good boy.” 

Picture this: You are about to go to the dentist, and you are absolutely terrified. 

You’ve got to get your teeth cleaned, or was it a filling? You're chattering your chompers so hard you may not have any for the dentist to even look at. 

As you walk into the dentist’s office, you see the patient’s chair filling up the space of the room. ‘You’ve got this’, you tell yourself, take a deep breath and sit down. 

Then, out of the blue, a friendly face jumps from the floor and places a paw on your trembling leg. Your heartrate lowers, and a smile creeps along your cheeks. 

Meet Ollie, the dentist’s resident emotional support dog. 

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Ollie wasn't bothered by the sounds of the dental equipment, making him the perfect emotional support animal for anxious patients. Source: jandddental/Instagram

Dentist introduces emotional support dog to ease anxious patients

Ollie is a four-year-old English golden doodle who belongs to a Minneapolis-based dentist, J&D Dental. 

Last year, dental hygienist April Kline began bringing her loyal pal to work after realising it may help reduce anxiety with some of the practice’s patients. 

She first experimented with her husband, Jerry, who is a “very anxious patient”, April told The Washington Post. 

“While he was lying in the chair, Ollie jumped on top of him and fell asleep. He wasn’t bothered at all by the dental noises,” she continued. 

While the pup sat on Jerry’s lap, all anxiety about the dentist’s appointment disappeared. 

“Ollie helped my husband to relax — he said he felt better having him there,” April said. “That gave me an idea: What if Ollie could help some of our other anxious patients, too?”

Soon, Ollie was a regular guest at the dentist, soothing the anxious patients who needed a welcome distraction while getting their nerve-wracking extraction. 

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Ollie has helped alleviate stress with many patients. Source: jandddental/Instagram

“Having Ollie here has been a game changer … he brightens everyone’s day”

The owner of the dental practice, Jennifer Herbert, was more than happy to welcome Ollie into the office, but there are a few strict rules the furry pal has to follow. 

While Ollie isn’t registered as a service animal, he is fully vaccinated and complies with the guidelines and regulations set by the US’s Occupational Safety and Health Act. 

Ollie is scheduled on the official work roster and makes an appearance once a week, and is also only allowed to ask for pats and cuddles if the patient is happy to oblige.

“We don’t have him here every day because we don’t want him to work too hard,” the dentist said. “And we want to make sure that everyone who comes to the office on those days is okay with him being here.” 

But for those who wish to give the pup a cuddle, Ollie is more than happy to oblige. 

“Dentistry isn’t an easy profession — nobody tells us that coming here is the best day of their life,” she said. “Having Ollie here has been a game changer. He brightens everyone’s day, and he’s become a huge hit.” 

The golden doodle is very popular among patients, with some comparing his tender cuddles to “wearing a warm weighted blanket.”

One patient, Debbie, told The Washington Post that Ollie is “such a good boy” who was “really calming” during her appointment. “I'm surprised at how much he helped.”

Sue was another patient who was amazed by Ollie's healing paws, repairing the trauma she felt while visiting the dentist.

“It was the polar opposite of what I experienced as a child,” she said, explaining she had “bad experiences” going to the dentist as a kid.

“For 30 minutes, I petted Ollie while he rested his upper body on me, and I’ve never been more relaxed.”

Originally published as I was terrified of being at the dentist - then I met Ollie and my life changed