No needle? no problem? new dental numbing method tested
NCT ID NCT06874244
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study compared two ways to numb teeth for dental procedures: a standard needle injection and a needle-free device that uses a mild electric current to deliver numbing medicine through the gums. Twenty adults took part, and researchers measured pain and anxiety with each method. The goal was to see if the needle-free approach could be a less frightening alternative.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- lidocaine hydrochloride and tetracaine/oxymetazoline
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a less scary, needle-free option for numbing teeth during dental procedures.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early-phase study with only 20 people. The needle-free method may not work as well or last as long as a standard shot.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
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20 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Aug 2024
- Finished
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Jul 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Subject is at least 18 years of age at the time of consent Subject is able to provide their own informed consent Subject has a minimum 24 teeth/subject and 6 teeth per quadrant Subject has an Approximal Plaque Index score ≤ 40% as assessed via explorer and without the use of plaque-disclosing agents Subject must be able to speak and understand English Subject is able and willing to return for all scheduled study visits Subject to able to make dental appointments Subject should not be a pregnant female Subject meets the Level-I or Level-II classification criteria of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status Classification System For Dental Patient Care Exclusion Criteria: * Subject has any of the following: * rampant caries * chronic periodontitis * salivary gland dysfunction Subject is unable, for any reason, to tolerate the procedure time required to place the restorations Subject has unacceptable oral hygiene (e.g., chronic moderate to heavy plaque accumulation along the gumline) Subject is planned to be enrolled in another investigational trial that requires additional interventions at any time during the study Subject is using a whitening agent at any time during this study. Subject has history of allergic reaction to anesthetic medications Subject with uncontrolled systemic disease or conditions Subject is having acute or chronic myofascial pain or neuropathic conditions Subject taking long-term analgesics for their systemic conditions Subject presenting with acute dental pain Subject requiring IV sedation or nitrous oxide sedation or oral sedation for anxiety
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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LSUHSC School of Dentistry
New Orleans, Louisiana, 70119, United States