1 Church Street, Wyong NSW 2259 1 Church Street, Wyong NSW 2259 After working with many anxious patients, Dr Charles and Dr Laura saw an opportunity to combine their love and knowledge of dogs with a way to help their nervous patients and began to research ways in which they could introduce a dental assistance dog into their practice.
Harvey is a rescue dog that Dr Charles and Dr Laura adopted through Dog Rescue Newcastle in February 2018. He has undergone extensive training and assessments through Animal Behaviour NSW.
Harvey is available to give cuddles to patients, both young and old or to sit with nervous patients during treatment. He has comforted many anxious patients, as well as children.
Harvey’s favourite pastimes are eating (he loves snacking on carrots), destroying his stuffed toys and running around at the beach.
His weekends are spent walking into Terrigal to get a morning coffee with Dr Laura and Dr Charles, they are very social so if you see them around, please say hi!
As dental assistance dogs are relatively new to dental practices, we have come up with a list of commonly asked questions:
A dental assistance dog is a dog trained to assist nervous patients before, during and after their dental procedures. It is one of the ways we hope to help people that avoid the dentist due to fear.
Dental assistance dogs come in all sizes and breeds. The most important characteristic of a dental assistance dog is their temperament. A good dental assistance dog must be friendly, patient, confident, gentle, and at ease in all situations. Harvey has been chosen as a dental assistance dog as he exhibits all these traits. Harvey loves nothing more than human contact, whether it be a pat on the head, or sitting in your lap.
The purpose of the harness is to signify to Harvey that he is in ‘work mode’. When he is in work mode, he is very calm and well-mannered and takes his job very seriously. Once the harness comes off, he goes back to being a regular dog.
Yes! Harvey loves a pat and he even sit in your lap for a cuddle whilst you’re waiting for your dental appointment. If you want some extra attention during your appointment, feel free to bring Harvey into the surgery and he will sit on your lap and comfort you throughout your procedure. Harvey has got a special talent with upset children and has been known to bring smiles to the faces of even the most nervous children at the dentist.
Yes! He is the most pampered pooch around. Harvey is regularly bathed and groomed. He even has a mint-flavoured doggy deodorant to keep him smelling fresh! Although Harvey is clean, like all dogs, he will shed a little and we have lint brushes available if you find yourself a little hairy after a cuddle.
If you are interested in adopting a rescue dog, speak to Dr Laura and Dr Charles, they are involved with Dog Rescue Newcastle and can put you in touch with some of the foster carers so you can help give dogs such as Harvey, a forever home.
Harvey lives with Dr Charles and Dr Laura and lives the life of a regular dog when he is not at the practice.
At Church St Dental, we believe that the best treatment can only be achieve with the most up-to- date technology. We are a forward moving practice and go the extra mile to use to use the latest technology and materials for the benefit of our patients, including
Dentistry is a constantly-evolving industry and we are committed to keeping up-to-date with the latest developments through continuous further education and training to ensure our patients receive the most comprehensive and advanced care.
Our dental surgeries are equipped with ceiling-mounted TVs, so you can zone out and watch your favourite Netflix show during your dental treatment. We also believe that keeping patients waiting creates stress and anxiety, so we very rarely run late, which means that, as nice as our patient lounge is, chances are you won’t be spending very long there.
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