Effectiveness of Auricular Acupuncture in Reducing Dental Anxiety and Pain Perception During Orthodontic Extractions Among Adolescents

The University of Hong Kong (HKU)

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Dental Anxiety

Treatments: Procedure: Auricular acupunctures; Procedure: Sham acupunctures

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06434844

UW23-024

Details and patient eligibility

About

This prospective, randomised, double-blinded cross-over study aims to compare the effectiveness of auricular acupuncture (AA) with placebo sham acupuncture (PSA) in reducing dental anxiety, pain perception and physiological responses to stress and anxiety among adolescents during orthodontic extractions.

Adolescents aged between 10-19 years old who are undergoing orthodontic treatments requiring bilateral premolar extractions will be invited to complete a validated questionnaire to record their dental anxiety level, oral health knowledge, attitudes, practices, demographic and socio-economic factors. During orthodontic extractions, physiological responses including heart rate and oxygen saturation will be measured with a fingertip pulse oximeter throughout the process.

The participants will be allocated randomly to one of the two groups in the study.

Group 1-- auricular acupuncture in their first orthodontic extraction visit and placebo sham acupuncture in their second orthodontic extraction visit.

Group 2-placebo sham acupuncture in their first orthodontic extraction visit and auricular acupuncture their second orthodontic extraction visit.

Both acupuncture interventions will be carried out by a Hong Kong registered Chinese medical practitioner. The acupuncture needles are kept in place for 20 minutes to exert its effect before the dental extraction. Placebo sham acupuncture will not cause any harm, but the acupuncture points have no reported effect on stress relief.

The extraction of premolars will be performed by a Hong Kong registered dentist. Local anesthesia is injected to numb the respective site, then the premolar will be removed with forceps, followed by stopping the bleeding by biting firmly on gauze.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 10 to 19 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Undergoing orthodontic treatment and require bilateral extraction of premolars.
• Have parental consent signed by their parent or guardian.
• Medically fit with either ASA I or II status
• Have not taken any medications, especially anxiolytics and antidepressants
• The premolars to be extracted should be fully erupted and without any signs of ankylosis.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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30 participants in 2 patient groups

1st visit Auricular acupuncture; 2nd visit Placebo sham acupuncture

Experimental group

Description:

The subjects will receive auricular acupuncture in the 1st visit and placebo sham acupuncture in the 2nd visit.

Treatment:

Procedure: Sham acupunctures

Procedure: Auricular acupunctures

1st visit Placebo sham acupuncture; 2nd visit Auricular acupuncture

Sham Comparator group

Description:

The subjects will receive placebo sham acupuncture in the 1st visit and auricular acupuncture in the 2nd visit.

Treatment:

Procedure: Sham acupunctures

Procedure: Auricular acupunctures