Man's best friend used to fight dentist's office anxiety
MINNEAPOLIS — At J&D Dental in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, 4-year-old Ollie the labradoodle is reporting for duty.
His exact position within the office: Usually right on top of patients.
April Kline is a dental hygienist J&D Dental. She first brought her dog Ollie to the office four years ago when her family was in for an appointment.
"He was just going around checking on both my two girls and my husband, and then he just jumped up on my husband's lap," said Kline. "After showing a bunch of patients once they wanted to see pictures of Ollie, I showed them the picture of him on my husband, and they started asking them if they could have the same thing. I said, 'Absolutely.'"
It began with just a few patient requests. Ollie now visits several of them a day, once a week.
"Today he's seeing six patients," said Kline.
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Before her job in dentistry, Kline had assumed everyone enjoyed the dentist as much as she did.
"You learn really quick that this is a vulnerable spot to be in," she said. "Sometimes these patients need nitrous oxide, they need some type of sedative to actually get through the appointment."
"It's really comforting to have Ollie here, for sure," said Colin Campbell.
Campbell gets his teeth cleaned every four months, so it's safe to say he doesn't fear the dentist's office.
His appointment with Ollie on Wednesday was merely for the puppy cuddles, all 80 pounds of them.
"It feels just like a weighted blanket so it's very comfortable," said Campbell.
A dog so popular that even sleeping on the job won't get him fired.
"We're just very happy that we can provide that for patients, and Ollie loves coming to work, so it's been great," said Kline.
Kline said she'd love to have Ollie visit more often. Because of his calm demeanor, she has him in training to become a therapy dog.
