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Use of Acupuncture for Dental Pain: Testing a Model

National Institutes of Health (NIH) logo

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Status and phase

Completed
Phase 3

Conditions

Tooth, Impacted

Treatments

Procedure: Acupuncture

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

NIH

Identifiers

NCT00010972
R01 AT000010-01M
R01AT000010-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 40 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

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

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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