Study aims to cut opioid use after wisdom tooth surgery
NCT ID NCT06539741
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at why some people need extra opioids for pain after having their wisdom teeth removed, while others get enough relief from ibuprofen alone. Researchers will study 200 adults having at least one impacted wisdom tooth pulled. They hope to find clues in genes or blood markers that could help doctors prescribe fewer unnecessary opioids in the future.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ibuprofen
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help doctors prescribe fewer opioids after dental surgery by identifying who will get enough pain relief from ibuprofen alone.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early observational study, not testing a new treatment. It may not lead to changes in prescribing practices.
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 200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2025
- Expected to finish
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Sep 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 presenting for surgical extraction of partial or full bony impacted mandibular third molars at the Oral Surgery Clinics at Penn Dental Medicine
- 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: 1. Provision of signed and dated informed consent form 2. Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study 3. Ability to take oral medication and be willing to adhere to the study treatment regimen 4. Men and women greater than 18 years of age requiring extraction of at least one impacted mandibular third molar tooth (at least 50% covered with bone). 5. Absence of other major medical problems or contraindications to surgery or study drugs. 6. Female subjects of child bearing potential must be using a medically acceptable method of contraception (oral contraception, Depo-Provera injection, IUD, condom with spermicide, diaphragm, cervical cap, progestin implant, abstinence, tubal ligation, oophorectomy, TAH) throughout the entire study period. All female subjects must consent to a urine pregnancy test at screening and a urine pregnancy test on the day of surgery, which must be negative at all time points. 7. Has not ingested caffeine-containing products within 12 hours of surgery. 8. All subjects must consent to a urine drug test at screening. Results must be negative (except for THC) unless the subject is on a stable dose of a non-analgesic drug for a legitimate medical purpose. A positive test for THC will be permitted and the frequency of use will be documented. A positive result will be reported to the subject. 9. Does not consume more than 1 alcoholic beverage per day on average. 10. Subjects must reach a level of at least moderate pain within four hours of surgery completion, with a pain score greater than or equal to 4 on a 0-10 numerical pain scale 11. Subjects must be willing and able to complete safety and efficacy diaries. 12. An escort must be available to pick up the subject at the end of at the end of the surgical/dosing visit (Visit #2). Exclusion Criteria: 1. Female subjects who are pregnant or nursing a child. 2. Subjects who have received an investigational drug or used an experimental medical device within 30 days prior to screening, or who gave a blood donation of ≥ one pint within 8 weeks prior to screening. 3. Subjects who are sensitive or allergic to ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or their components. 4. Subjects who are sensitive or allergic to aspirin or other NSAIDs. 5. Subjects who are sensitive or allergic to oxycodone or other opioids (excluding nausea and constipation). 6. Presence of a serious medical condition (e.g. poorly controlled hypertension or diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders such as bleeding ulcer, coagulation or bleeding disorders, significantly impaired cardiac, renal, hepatic, respiratory, or thyroid function) that according to the investigator may interfere with interpretation of the study results or compromise the safety of a potential subject. 7. Acute local infection at the time of surgery that could confound post-surgical evaluation. 8. Use of any confounding prescription or non-prescription drug within 24 hours of the surgical procedure, including analgesics, sedating antihistamine, sedative, alcohol, or CNS/psychotropic agents (i.e. sleep aids, benzodiazepines). Hormonal contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy (including males taking testosterone as a hormone replacement to treat a documented low testosterone level), or thyroid replacement hormones are allowed. Individuals taking other/additional chronic stable medications can be considered on a case-by-case basis for inclusion in the study if agreed upon by judgment of the investigator. 9. Subjects with any abnormal laboratory value or physical finding that according to the investigator may interfere with interpretation of the study results, be indicative of an underlying disease state, or compromise the safety of a potential subject. 10. Subjects who have a history of opioid use disorder or other substance use disorder, based upon history and judgment of the Investigator. 11. Subjects who are unwilling to provide a blood sample for genetic analyses. 12. Employees of the principal investigator, sub-investigators, or relative of an employee who is directly involved 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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University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
RECRUITINGPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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