Conventional Versus Computer-Assisted Dental Anesthesia

July 24, 2026 updated by: Jose Leonardo Jimenez-Ortiz, University of Montemorelos

Conventional Versus Computer-Assisted Dental Anesthesia: A Pilot Study of a Randomized Clinical Trial

The purpose of this clinical trial was to compare two methods of delivering local dental anesthesia in undergraduate dental students: a computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery (CCLAD) system and a conventional dental syringe. The study evaluated whether the computer-controlled system reduced pain during the administration of local anesthesia compared with the conventional technique.

The main questions this study aimed to answer were:

Does a computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery system reduce pain during maxillary buccal infiltration compared with a conventional dental syringe? Are there differences in physiological responses (blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation) between the two anesthetic delivery methods? Which anesthetic delivery method do participants prefer after experiencing both techniques? Would participants recommend their preferred anesthetic delivery method to others? Participants attended two study visits approximately one week apart. Each participant received local anesthesia using both delivery methods in a randomized order, serving as his or her own control. Pain, dental anxiety, physiological parameters, anesthetic delivery preferences, and willingness to recommend the preferred method were assessed during the study.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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 (Actual)

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.
29

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.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

  • Mexico
    • Nuevo León
      • Montemorelos, Nuevo León, Mexico, 67530
        • University Dental Clinic, Montemorelos University School of Dentistry

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
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Undergraduate dental student enrolled in the Local Anesthesia course at the Montemorelos University School of Dentistry.
  • Aged 18 years or older.
  • Able and willing to provide written informed consent.
  • Willing to attend both study periods.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnancy or lactation.
  • Known allergy or contraindication to lidocaine or epinephrine.
  • Systemic conditions contraindicating elective dental treatment.
  • Use of medications that could alter cardiovascular responses.
  • Medical condition that could interfere with pain perception or study participation.

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: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover 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: Computer-Controlled Local Anesthetic Delivery
Participants received maxillary buccal infiltration anesthesia using a computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery (CCLAD) system during one of two study periods according to the randomized treatment sequence. Each participant received both study interventions and served as his or her own control.
Device: Computer-Controlled Local Anesthetic Delivery System
Local anesthetic was administered using a computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery (CCLAD) system with 2% lidocaine containing 1:100,000 epinephrine through a 27-gauge short dental needle for maxillary buccal infiltration anesthesia. The device controlled the flow rate throughout anesthetic administration according to the manufacturer's operating protocol.
Other Names:
  • SOGA-MINI
Active Comparator: Conventional Dental Syringe
Participants received maxillary buccal infiltration anesthesia using a conventional aspirating dental syringe during one of two study periods according to the randomized treatment sequence. Each participant received both study interventions and served as his or her own control.
Device: Conventional Aspirating Dental Syringe
Local anesthetic was administered using a conventional aspirating dental syringe with 2% lidocaine containing 1:100,000 epinephrine through a 27-gauge short dental needle for maxillary buccal infiltration anesthesia. Anesthetic administration followed the conventional manual injection technique.

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
Pain perception during local anesthetic administration
Time Frame: Immediately after each anesthetic administration
Pain perceived during maxillary buccal infiltration anesthesia administered with a computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery system or a conventional aspirating dental syringe. Pain was assessed immediately after each intervention using a 10-cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS), where 0 indicated "no pain" and 10 indicated "worst imaginable pain".
Immediately after each anesthetic administration

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
Dental anxiety
Time Frame: Baseline (before the first study intervention)
Dental anxiety was assessed using the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS; score range: 5-25). Higher scores indicate greater dental anxiety. Assessment was performed before the first study intervention.
Baseline (before the first study intervention)
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure
Time Frame: Before, during, and immediately after each anesthetic administration
Blood pressure was measured using an automated monitor before, during, and immediately after anesthetic administration.
Before, during, and immediately after each anesthetic administration
Heart rate
Time Frame: Before, during, and immediately after anesthetic administration
Heart rate was measured using a pulse oximeter before, during, and immediately after anesthetic administration.
Before, during, and immediately after anesthetic administration
Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂)
Time Frame: Before, during, and immediately after anesthetic administration
Peripheral oxygen saturation was measured using a pulse oximeter before, during, and immediately after anesthetic administration.
Before, during, and immediately after anesthetic administration
Participant-reported preferred anesthetic delivery method
Time Frame: Immediately after completion of the second study intervention
Participants selected their preferred anesthetic delivery method (computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery system or conventional aspirating dental syringe) after experiencing both interventions.
Immediately after completion of the second study intervention
Willingness to recommend the preferred anesthetic delivery method
Time Frame: Immediately after completion of the second study intervention
Willingness to recommend the preferred anesthetic delivery method was assessed using an 11-point Numeric Rating Scale (NRS; 0-10), where 0 indicated "not at all willing to recommend" and 10 indicated "extremely willing to recommend." Higher scores indicate greater willingness to recommend. Assessment was performed after completion of the second study intervention.
Immediately after completion of the second study intervention

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.
University of Montemorelos

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: Jose L Jimenez-Ortiz, DDS, Montemorelos University School of Dentistry

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.
September 2, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

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 2, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

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 2, 2025

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 20, 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 24, 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 28, 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.
July 28, 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.
July 24, 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.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • UM-ESEST-2025-015

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

A final decision regarding the sharing of de-identified individual participant data has not yet been made. Data sharing will be considered in accordance with institutional policies, participant confidentiality requirements, and applicable ethical and regulatory standards.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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