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L'Effetto dei Tappi per le Orecchie sul Riflesso Faringeo e il Comfort del Paziente nel Trattamento Canalare

30 settembre 2026 aggiornato da: Beyhan Başkan

L'Effetto dell'Uso di Tappi per le Orecchie in Silicone Personalizzati sulla Gravità del Riflesso Faringeo, sulle Risposte Comportamentali e sui Livelli di Alfa-Amilasi Salivare come Biomarcatore dello Stress in Pazienti Sottoposti a Trattamento Canalare: Uno Studio Randomizzato Controllato

This study evaluated whether wearing an earplug during root canal treatment reduces the gag reflex and the stress it causes. Forty adults who had a severe or very severe gag reflex were randomly divided into two groups. One group received an earplug in the ear opposite to the side being treated; the other group received standard treatment without an earplug. The severity of the gag reflex was scored by an observer, stress was measured using a saliva sample (salivary alpha-amylase), and treatment time and gag-related interruptions were recorded. The results showed that the earplug group had lower gag-reflex scores, lower stress levels, and shorter treatment times with fewer interruptions. No side effects were reported. These findings suggest that a simple, low-cost earplug may help patients who gag easily during dental treatment.

Panoramica dello studio

Stato

Completato

Condizioni

Intervento / Trattamento

Descrizione dettagliata

Background: An exaggerated gag reflex is a common problem during dental treatment, especially in endodontics, where uninterrupted working time and moisture control are essential. Pharmacological approaches carry risks, and evidence for non-pharmacological methods is limited. Earplug stimulation of the external auditory canal has been proposed as a simple, non-invasive way to suppress the gag reflex.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of earplug application during endodontic treatment on gag-reflex severity, physiological stress (salivary alpha-amylase, sAA), and clinical efficiency (treatment time and gag-related interruption ratio).

Methods: This prospective, randomized controlled trial enrolled 40 adults with severe or very severe gagging (Dickinson-Fiske Gagging Severity Index grade 4-5) requiring endodontic treatment. Participants were randomly allocated 1:1 to an earplug group or a control group. A custom-moulded silicone earplug was placed in the ear contralateral to the operating field. The operator and the outcome assessor were blinded by an identical adhesive ear cover applied to all participants; participants could not be blinded. Gag-reflex severity was scored with an 8-item behavioural scale (0-8). Unstimulated whole saliva was collected before and after treatment for sAA measurement. Total treatment time and gag-related interruption time were recorded, and the interruption ratio was calculated as (interruption time / total treatment time) × 100. Non-parametric tests and baseline-adjusted ANCOVA on log-transformed sAA were used.

Results: The earplug group had a lower behavioural gag-reflex score (median 3.0 vs 5.5; p < 0.01) and a more favourable severity distribution (trend p < 0.01). sAA decreased after treatment with the earplug but increased in controls (median change -31.8% vs +76.2%); baseline-adjusted post-treatment sAA was 59% lower with earplug use (geometric mean ratio 0.41, 95% CI 0.32-0.53; p < 0.001). Treatment time and the interruption ratio were markedly lower with earplug use (both p < 0.001). No adverse effects were observed.

Conclusions: Earplug application during endodontic treatment was associated with reduced gag-reflex severity, an attenuated physiological stress response, and improved procedural efficiency. As a simple, inexpensive, non-invasive technique, the earplug may be a useful adjunct for managing severe gagging in endodontic practice. Larger, multi-centre trials with patient-reported outcomes are warranted.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT07493200.

Tipo di studio

Interventistico

Iscrizione (Effettivo)

40

Fase

  • Non applicabile

Contatti e Sedi

Questa sezione fornisce i recapiti di coloro che conducono lo studio e informazioni su dove viene condotto lo studio.

Luoghi di studio

      • Kahramanmaraş, Turchia (Türkiye), 46140
        • Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Universty

Criteri di partecipazione

I ricercatori cercano persone che corrispondano a una certa descrizione, chiamata criteri di ammissibilità. Alcuni esempi di questi criteri sono le condizioni generali di salute di una persona o trattamenti precedenti.

Criteri di ammissibilità

Età idonea allo studio

18 anni e precedenti (Adulto, Adulto più anziano)

Accetta volontari sani

No

Sessi ammissibili allo studio

Tutto

Descrizione

Inclusion Criteria:

Age over 18 years Need for endodontic treatment Score of 4 (severe gagging: occurs with all forms of treatment) or 5 (very severe gagging: makes treatment impossible) on the Dickinson and Fiske Gagging Severity Index (GSI)

Exclusion Criteria:

Systemic disease Pregnancy or lactation Diagnosed central or peripheral nervous system disorders Use of anti-emetic medication Ear infection or structural abnormality of the external auditory canal

Piano di studio

Questa sezione fornisce i dettagli del piano di studio, compreso il modo in cui lo studio è progettato e ciò che lo studio sta misurando.

Come è strutturato lo studio?

Dettagli di progettazione

  • Scopo principale: Trattamento
  • Assegnazione: Randomizzato
  • Modello interventistico: Assegnazione parallela
  • Mascheramento: Doppio

Armi e interventi

Gruppo di partecipanti / Arm
Intervento / Trattamento
Sperimentale: Experimental Group

Patients in this group (n=20) will have a custom-made silicone earplug placed in the ear opposite the side where the dentist is working during their root canal treatment. The earplug is fabricated immediately before the procedure using soft silicone material to ensure a comfortable, personalized fit. No other pharmacological or behavioral interventions for gag reflex control will be used.

A personalized earplug fabricated from a soft, two-component addition-cure silicone (C-type silicone), commonly used for dental impressions. The two components are mixed according to the manufacturer's instructions and gently injected into the patient's external auditory canal on the side contralateral to the tooth receiving treatment. The silicone is allowed to polymerize for approximately 2-3 minutes, creating a custom-fit plug that conforms precisely to the individual contours of the ear canal. This ensures comfortable, continuous, and gentle tactile stimulation to the walls of the ear canal throughout the entire root canal procedure. The earplug is removed at the end of the treatment and is for single-patient use only. No other devices or pharmacological agents are used in conjunction with this intervention.

Nessun intervento: Control Group

Patients in this group (n=20) will receive standard root canal treatment without any earplug placement. No interventions for gag reflex control will be used. All outcome measures (gag reflex severity, behavioral responses, treatment pause ratio, salivary alpha-amylase) will be collected in the same manner as for the experimental group.

Cosa sta misurando lo studio?

Misure di risultato primarie

Misura del risultato
Misura Descrizione
Lasso di tempo
Behavioural Gag-Reflex Score
Lasso di tempo: Throughout the root canal procedure (continuous observation by a blinded assessor)

An 8-item behavioural observation scale (0-8) was used to quantify the intraoperative gag response. One point was assigned for each of: eye-squeezing, sweating, physical contraction, withdrawal, groaning, crying, breath-holding, and increased salivation. The total score was categorised as Mild (0-2), Moderate (3-4), Severe (5-6), or Very Severe (7-8).

Throughout the root canal procedure (continuous observation by a blinded assessor)

Misure di risultato secondarie

Misura del risultato
Misura Descrizione
Lasso di tempo
Behavioural Gag-Reflex Severity Distribution
Lasso di tempo: Throughout the root canal procedure

The total 8-item behavioural score (0-8) was categorised as Mild (0-2), Moderate (3-4), Severe (5-6), or Very Severe (7-8). The distribution of these categories after treatment was compared between groups using the Cochran-Armitage trend test.

Throughout the root canal procedure
Gag-Related Interruption Ratio
Lasso di tempo: Throughout the procedure

The cumulative duration of gag-related pauses was divided by total treatment time and multiplied by 100. Total treatment time was measured from the start of access-cavity preparation to completion of the root-canal filling.

Throughout the procedure
Salivary α-Amylase Activity
Lasso di tempo: Immediately before and immediately after the procedure

Unstimulated whole saliva was collected before and after treatment, centrifuged (10,000 × g, 10 min, 4 °C), and stored at -80 °C. sAA activity was measured colorimetrically using a commercial kit (Elabscience, Cat. No. E-BC-K007-M) based on the DNS method; optical density was read at 540 nm.

Immediately before and immediately after the procedure
Total Treatment Time
Lasso di tempo: Throughout the procedure

Time from start of access-cavity preparation to completion of root-canal filling, measured with a digital stopwatch.

Throughout the procedure

Collaboratori e investigatori

Qui è dove troverai le persone e le organizzazioni coinvolte in questo studio.

Sponsor

Studiare le date dei record

Queste date tengono traccia dell'avanzamento della registrazione dello studio e dell'invio dei risultati di sintesi a ClinicalTrials.gov. I record degli studi e i risultati riportati vengono esaminati dalla National Library of Medicine (NLM) per assicurarsi che soddisfino specifici standard di controllo della qualità prima di essere pubblicati sul sito Web pubblico.

Studia le date principali

Inizio studio (Effettivo)

12 maggio 2025

Completamento primario (Effettivo)

5 febbraio 2026

Completamento dello studio (Effettivo)

5 febbraio 2026

Date di iscrizione allo studio

Primo inviato

19 marzo 2026

Primo inviato che soddisfa i criteri di controllo qualità

19 marzo 2026

Primo Inserito (Effettivo)

25 marzo 2026

Aggiornamenti dei record di studio

Ultimo aggiornamento pubblicato (Effettivo)

5 ottobre 2026

Ultimo aggiornamento inviato che soddisfa i criteri QC

30 settembre 2026

Ultimo verificato

1 settembre 2026

Maggiori informazioni

Termini relativi a questo studio

Altri numeri di identificazione dello studio

  • HRÜ/25.09.54

Piano per i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)

Hai intenzione di condividere i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)?

SÌ

Descrizione del piano IPD

De-identified individual participant data (demographic, behavioural, salivary α-amylase, and procedural time data) will be shared. Requests should be directed to the corresponding author.

Periodo di condivisione IPD

Data will be available after publication of the study results and for 5 years thereafter.

Criteri di accesso alla condivisione IPD

De-identified IPD and supporting documents will be made available to researchers whose proposed use of the data has been approved by the corresponding author and the institutional ethics committee. Data will be shared for non-commercial research purposes only. Requests should be sent to beyhanbaskan@ksu.edu.tr.

Tipo di informazioni di supporto alla condivisione IPD

  • STUDIO_PROTOCOLLO
  • LINFA
  • ICF

Informazioni su farmaci e dispositivi, documenti di studio

Studia un prodotto farmaceutico regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti

No

Studia un dispositivo regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti

No

Queste informazioni sono state recuperate direttamente dal sito web clinicaltrials.gov senza alcuna modifica. In caso di richieste di modifica, rimozione o aggiornamento dei dettagli dello studio, contattare register@clinicaltrials.gov. Non appena verrà implementata una modifica su clinicaltrials.gov, questa verrà aggiornata automaticamente anche sul nostro sito web .