MRI and Local Anesthesia (MRI and LA)

MRI Evaluation of Local Anesthesia Administration

The purpose of this research is to investigate the utility of using dental-dedicated MRI as a measurement tool to observe and evaluate the administration of local anesthesia in dental patients.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Dental Anesthesia
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: ddMRI

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 102
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Rachel Uppgaard, DDS, FACS; Phone Number: 612-209-9176; Email: uppg0003@umn.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Minnesota
    • Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, 55455
      • University of Minnesota
      • Contact: Rachel Uppgaard, DDS, FACS; Phone Number: 612-209-9176; Email: uppg0003@umn.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult age 18 or older
• Health status of American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class 1 or 2
• Able to provide informed consent
• Able to appear in person at OMRIC on the days indicated for the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• ASA class 3 or higher
• Pregnant patients
• Taking any medication that would affect pain perception or interact with local anesthetic
• Allergic/history of adverse reaction to local anesthetic or any component in the local anesthetic
• Paresthesia in the area of innervation of Cranial Nerve V3
• Active infection or abscess in the oral and maxillofacial region
• History of temporomandibular disorder, maximum incisal opening less than 15mm
• History of recent dental trauma (within the past 6 months)
• Dental hypersensitivity
• Claustrophobia and/or conditions of anxiety or motion disorder (for MRI purposes)
• Metallic, electronic, or magnetic implants or devices classified as MR Unsafe or Conditional by the American College of Radiology
• Unable to give informed consent

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: ddMRI scanning; The ddMRI will take place after anesthesia administration. The ddMRI will allow researchers to see and measure the distribution of the local anesthetic, as well as the the area of the local anesthetic and the intensity on MRI.	Device: ddMRI; Dental MRI imaging

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Patient reported sensation - 5min	Minimum value: No numbness Maximum value: Numb High scores mean a successful outcome for the block.	5 minutes after the nerve block
Patient reported sensation - 1 hour	Minimum value: No numbness Maximum value: Numb High scores mean a successful outcome for the block.	within 1 hour of the nerve block
Ability to sense light touch	binary scale. Options are yes or no	within 1 hour of the nerve block
Ability to sense pressure	Minimum value: 1.65 Maximum value: 6.65 Low scores mean that the participant can sense more, and that the block was less effective	within 1 hour of the nerve block
Ability to sense direction of touch (only if can sense VonFrey fibers)	Patient reports direction of sensation (up/down/right/left). This is scored 5 times per site	within 1 hour of the nerve block
Ability to distinguish sharp versus dull (only if can sense VonFrey fibers)	Patient reports sharp versus dull sensation. This is scored 5 times per site	within 1 hour of the nerve block

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Minnesota
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Rachel Uppgaard, DDS, FACS, University of Minnesota

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): June 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2029
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2029

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 30, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 18, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 22, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 18, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: STUDY00025764

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: Yes
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No