Preoperative Dexamethasone Injection to Improve Local Anesthesia Success in Endodontic Treatment (DILAS)

August 21, 2026 updated by: Ayesha Sarwar, Watim Medical & Dental College

Preoperative Intraligamentary Injection of Dexamethasone Can Improve the Anesthetic Success Rate of 2% Lidocaine During the Endodontic Management of Mandibular Molars With Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis

This study aims to determine whether giving a single dose of 4mg dexamethasone before root canal treatment can reduce the amount of pain patients experience during the procedure . Patients diagnosed with symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis requiring endodontic treatment will be enrolled. Participants will receive either dexamethasone or placebo before treatment , and pain during the procedure will be measured using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) .

The findings may help improve pain management strategies during root canal treatment .

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet 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.

Detailed Description

Symptomatic irreversible pulpitis is a common cause of severe dental pain, and achieving adequate pain control during endodontic treatment remains a challenge despite the use of local anesthesia. Inflammatory mediators present in inflamed pulp tissues may reduce the effectiveness of local anesthetics , resulting in persistent intraoperative pain.

Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid with potent anti-inflammatory properties that may reduce inflammatory mediator release and improve pain control . This randomized controlled clinical trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of preoperative 4mg dose of dexamethasone compared with placebo in reducing intraoperative pain during endodontic treatment of teeth diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis.

Eligible participants will be randomly allocated to receive either dexamethasone or placebo before treatment . Standard local anesthesia and endodontic procedures will be performed for all participants .

Intraoperative pain intensity will be assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale. The primary outcome will be the difference in intraoperative pain scores between the two groups.

The results of this study may provide evidence regarding the role of preoperative dexamethasone as an adjunct for improving pain control during endodontic treatment .

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.
60

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.

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

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Patients with pain VAS >/= 6
  2. Carious exposed mandibular molar with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis
  3. Patients between ages 18-60 years
  4. American Society of Anesthesiologists class I or II medical histories -

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patients with contraindications to local anesthesia solution or dexamethasone 2.Pregnant or breast-feeding females 4.Tooth having fused/extra roots, full coverage crowns, or poor periodontal status 5. Patients taking drugs which could affect the pain perception

-

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: Single

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.
Experimental: Dexamethasone Group
Participants receive dexamethasone as an adjunct to local anesthesia before endodontic treatment for symptomatic irreversible pulpitis
Drug: dexamethasone
participants receive 4mg dexamethasone administered via intraligamental infiltration followed by inferior alveolar nerve block before endodontic treatment of mandibular molars with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis
Placebo Comparator: Saline
participants receive normal saline as a placeb adjunct to local anesthesia before endodontic treatment for symptomatic irreversible pulpitis
Drug: Saline (0.9% NaCl)
participants receive an equivalent volume of normal saline administered via intraligamental infiltration before root canal treatment for symptomatic irreversible pulpitis

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
Intraoperative pain intensity
Time Frame: Pain intensity assessed intraoperatively from initiation of access cavity preparation until completion of canal instrumentation during a single visit ( approximately 30-90 minutes).
intraoperative pain intensity measured using the Heft-parker Visual Analogue Scale following root canal treatment
Pain intensity assessed intraoperatively from initiation of access cavity preparation until completion of canal instrumentation during a single visit ( approximately 30-90 minutes).

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.
Watim Medical & Dental College

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: Dr.Ayesha S Janjua, BDS, Watim Medical and Dental College

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 (Estimated)

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.
August 1, 2026

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.
December 1, 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.
December 1, 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).
July 3, 2026

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.
July 9, 2026

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.
July 13, 2026

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.
August 24, 2026

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.
August 21, 2026

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.
August 1, 2026

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.
  • WMDC/R&D(ERB)/2024/157

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

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

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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