Laser test could improve tooth vitality diagnosis
NCT ID NCT02636504
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study will compare three methods for testing whether a tooth's nerve is alive (vital) or dead (nonvital): laser Doppler flowmetry, cold testing, and electric pulp testing. About 150 people who need root canal treatment will receive all three tests before treatment. The goal is to see which test is most accurate at diagnosing tooth vitality.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to more accurate and reliable methods for dentists to determine if a tooth is alive or dead, improving treatment decisions.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early diagnostic study, not a treatment trial. The new laser method may not prove more accurate than existing tests, and results may not apply to all dental situations.
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.
- Participants
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About 150 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Dec 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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.
Who is studied
Patients that need endodontic treatment will have a consultation visit first. In most cases, the endodontic treatment will be provided at a subsequent visit. In some cases the endodontic treatment will be provided at the same visit. Patients who present to the endodontic clinic for a consultation visit for endodontic treatment. The patient will have three types of pulp vitality tests done on the tooth that is to receive endodontic treatment.
- 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: * Criteria for inclusion in the study will be that the individual has teeth that require endodontic treatment and patient is willing to undergo two additional vitality tests which will take about 20 minutes of additional time. Exclusion Criteria: * No group of special subjects or vulnerable population is being targeted in this study.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Columbia University Irving Medical Center
New York, New York, 10032, United States
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