Effects of Photobiomodulation (PBM) on Pain After Presentation of Aphthous Ulcers in Pediatric Dental Patients

March 20, 2025 updated by: Brett Thomas Chiquet, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Effects of Photobiomodulation on Pain After Presentation of Aphthous Ulcers in Pediatric Dental Patients

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of laser photobiomodulation and "Magic Mouthwash" for treatment of pain in pediatric patients with aphthous ulcers , to assess how photobiomodulation influences the rate of healing of aphthous ulcers in pediatric patients and to measure changes in pain levels reported by pediatric patients undergoing photobiomodulation treatment for aphthous ulcers.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
30

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 4

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patient/guardian speaks either English or Spanish
  • Patient presenting with one or more aphthous ulcers in their mouth, identified during a scheduled dental appointment
  • No previous PBM treatment to the presenting aphthous ulcer(s)
  • Guardian able to partake in a follow-up phone call in either the English or Spanish language

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patient presents with aphthous ulcers recently treated with PBM
  • Patient presents with herpes labialis (cold sores)
  • Patients presents with systemic disease that affects soft tissue/mucous healing

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Standard of care
Drug: Maalox plus Benadryl
1:1 mixture of Maalox and Benadryl will be applied to the ulcer as needed for pain. Applications typically will be applied before eating to form a dissolvable oral band-aid that lasts for up to 30 minutes. 10 milliliters of 1:1 Maalox: Benadryl solution will be provided to the family. During the presenting appointment, the patient/family will be shown how to use the 1:1 Maalox: Benadryl solution. It will be applied topically with no rinsing needed.
Experimental: PBM Therapy
Device: PBM Therapy
patients will receive PBM therapy using the Biolase Epic pro laser. An average power of 0.6w (peak power = 80w, rep. rate= 20Hz). Each aphthous ulcer will be irradiated one time for a total of 30 seconds via continuous wave.
Drug: Maalox plus Benadryl
1:1 mixture of Maalox and Benadryl will be applied to the ulcer as needed for pain. Applications typically will be applied before eating to form a dissolvable oral band-aid that lasts for up to 30 minutes. 10 milliliters of 1:1 Maalox: Benadryl solution will be provided to the family. During the presenting appointment, the patient/family will be shown how to use the 1:1 Maalox: Benadryl solution. It will be applied topically with no rinsing needed.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Quality of life as assessed by questionnaire (Likert scale)
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after treatment(about 5 minutes), 24 hours after treatment
This is a 6 item questionnaire and each is scored from 1-5, maximum score of 30,higher number indicating better outcome
Baseline, immediately after treatment(about 5 minutes), 24 hours after treatment
Pain as assessed by how frequently patient complains of pain (Likert scale)
Time Frame: upto 24 hours after treatment
upto 24 hours after treatment
Pain as assessed by number of participants who are using any over-the-counter or prescription medications, topical treatments, or oral rinses to treat aphthous ulcer pain
Time Frame: upto 24 hours after treatment
upto 24 hours after treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in lesion size as an indication of healing as assessed by clinical intraoral images of the aphthous ulcer and measuring tool
Time Frame: pre-treatment and immediately post-treatment(about 5 minutes)
pre-treatment and immediately post-treatment(about 5 minutes)
Change in pain as assessed by a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for control group
Time Frame: Baseline, 24 hours after treatment
Pain level is scored from 0(no pain) to 10(worst pain)
Baseline, 24 hours after treatment
Pain as assessed by a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for experimental group
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after PBM(about 5 minutes), 24 hours after treatment
Pain level is scored from 0(no pain) to 10(worst pain)
Baseline, immediately after PBM(about 5 minutes), 24 hours after treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Brett Chiquet, DDS, PhD, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 10, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 27, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 28, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 5, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 5, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 25, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 20, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • HSC-DB-24-1153

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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