Turtle power: study tests animal therapy to calm Kids' dental fears
NCT ID NCT07439289
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 04, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study looks at whether having a turtle in the room can help children aged 6 to 10 feel less anxious during a routine dental checkup or simple treatment like fluoride application. Researchers will measure anxiety using questionnaires and heart rate, comparing children who have a turtle present with those who don't. The goal is to find a simple, drug-free way to make dental visits easier for kids.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2026
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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6 to 10 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Children aged 6-10 years * Children with ASA I-II general health status * Children who have obtained written parental consent + an age-appropriate informed consent form * Children undergoing non-invasive procedures that do not require local anesthesia, such as dental examinations, fissure sealant or fluoride application. • Children who can understand Turkish instructions (for scale application). Exclusion Criteria: * • Children with animal phobia / intense fear of turtles (as stated by the child or parent). • Children with immunosuppression or a history of severe allergic diseases. • Children with a dental plan requiring sedation/GA within the last month (due to intense anxiety or systemic illness). * Children with an active infectious disease / a condition requiring isolation. • Children for whom a physician has deemed contact with animals inadvisable. • Children who have been included in a similar behavioral/anxiety intervention program during the same period.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Igdır University
RECRUITINGIğdır, Iğdır, 76000, Turkey (Türkiye)
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Nature vs. art: which virtual world calms dental patients best?
- Can a dog in the waiting room steady a child before a forensic interview?
- Live music may soothe dental anxiety in adults with developmental disabilities