Over the years, Dr. Rachel Forer has found plenty of ways to take the sting out of going to the dentist - laughing gas, numbing agents, and other modern tools designed to manage pain. But no matter how hard she tried, fear had a way of creeping in. 

"Going to the dentist can be very visceral, a real fight-or-flight reaction," said Forer, who runs Little Cloud Pediatric Dentistry in Lafayette. 

That lingering anxiety led Forer to an unexpected solution, one that's natural, non-toxic, and comes with four legs and a tail: Pearl, a five-year-old therapy dog who climbs into patients' laps, settles in, and takes the bite out of anxiety. 

"It's made a big difference for a lot of patients and parents," Forer said. 

Therapy dogs have long been used to comfort people in hospital wards and schools. Now, they're becoming part of a growing trend in dental offices, particularly in the Bay Area, where providers are exploring new ways to ease patient anxiety.

Recently, Pearl was assisting 13-year-old Lucy Dennis, who needed three teeth pulled. According to her mother, Nicole, the dog's calm presence made all the difference. 

"There were no tears, no nothing, and she has a dog laying on her the whole time," she said. 

Research suggests that comfort animals can do more than soothe nerves. Danielle Ellington, an associate professor at Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, co-authored a study examining the impact of therapy dogs in dental offices. She said it's more than just fluff. 

"Getting laughing gas, or nitrous oxide, we noticed that those numbers went down because really what the doctor is treating in those situations was anxiety," Ellington said.

There are important considerations, including cleanliness, allergies, and the well-being of the animals themselves. Pearl, a Samoyed - a breed often considered hypoallergenic - receives regular grooming and formal training to prepare her for the dental environment.

For Lucy, the experience was exactly what the doctor ordered. All three teeth were pulled in a single visit.

"It feels good," she said.