Brain zaps aim to silence phantom tooth pain
NCT ID NCT07671950
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether directional deep brain stimulation (DBS) can reduce pain in people with neuropathic dental pain (phantom tooth pain). Five adults who have not responded to standard treatments will receive DBS and try different stimulation settings. The goal is to find which brain target provides the most pain relief.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Directional deep brain stimulation (DBS) device
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could identify the best brain stimulation settings to reduce chronic dental pain and improve quality of life.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small early study with only 5 participants. It may not show clear results or apply to others. Risks include surgical complications from DBS implantation.
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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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 5 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2026
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2028
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.
- Ages
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19 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * Age 19 to 80 years. * Diagnosis of Atypical Odontalgia (AO) (also known as neuropathic dental pain). * Receiving deep brain stimulation (DBS) treatment for AO due to inadequate response to conventional therapies, including: Pharmacological therapies, and/or Local anesthetics, corticosteroid injections, or nerve blocks. * Able and willing to provide informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Refusal or inability to provide informed consent. * Known major depression. * Acute psychosis.
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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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Vancouver General Hospital
RECRUITINGVancouver, British Columbia, V5Z1M9, Canada