Use of Acupuncture for Dental Pain: Testing a Model

August 17, 2006 updated by: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

This study is testing the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture in controlling pain related to the removal of partially impacted mandibular third molars. Acupuncture is the Chinese art of healing by inserting needles into the skin.

Participants ages 18 - 40 are given an initial x-ray to determine if one lower molar is partially bony impacted. Eligible participants will then undergo standard oral surgery to remove the impacted molar. A local anesthetic will be used prior to surgery. Directly after surgery the participant will be assigned to one of three groups. Participants will not be able to select which group they are assigned. Participants will receive either real or sham (fake) acupuncture as a treatment for post-extraction pain. After the initial acupuncture treatment, participants are required to remain for six hours at the dental site to be monitored. If a participants discomfort is measured as moderate or higher then a second acupuncture treatment will be administered. All participants will be administered questionnaires during the day of surgery. Participants will also be required to complete two diaries during the seven days following surgery. On the seventh day, participants return to have stitches removed and hand in completed diaries.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Tooth, Impacted

Intervention / Treatment

Procedure: Acupuncture

Study Type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 3

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

United States
- Maryland
  - Columbia, Maryland, United States, 21046
    - Rivers Center Dental Associates

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 40 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

At least one lower mandibular molar with partial bony impaction
General good health
Minimum body weight of 99 lbs.
Able to read and write in English

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

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

Collaborators

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

Investigators

Principal Investigator: Sharon Nelson, University of Maryland

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 Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 2, 2001

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 2, 2001

First Posted (Estimate)

February 5, 2001

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

August 18, 2006

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 17, 2006

Last Verified

August 1, 2006

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

R01 AT000010-01M
R01AT000010-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

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.