Measuring bite force to understand dental pain

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This observational study aims to quantify the bite force in patients experiencing dental pain due to conditions like irreversible pulpitis and apical periodontitis. By using the FDA-approved Innobyte® device, the study seeks to validate neuropathic mechanisms such as mechanical allodynia and central sensitization as therapeutic targets. The goal is to improve pain assessment and support the use of non-opioid pain medications, potentially reducing reliance on opioids in emergency settings. The study focuses on individuals receiving dental treatments for lower molars and aims to provide insights that could benefit underserved populations with limited access to dental care.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Individuals who present for
* a lower 1st or 2nd molar filling in an otherwise healthy tooth, i.e., does not have large decay that has already infected the nerve of the tooth, or there is increased mobility due to gum disease or a root canal treatment on a lower molar tooth and there is no history of injury to the tooth, or
* a lower molar root canal treatment, and
* are 18 years or older
* capable of providing informed consent, are eligible to participate in the study, as long as they satisfy the criteria below.
* The opposing tooth is present, symptom-free and has adequate tooth structure that allows it to make contact with the tooth it bites against, and
* are English-speaking

Exclusion Criteria:

* Any patient, even if satisfying the criteria above, may not take part if any of the below is true:
* Compromised ability to guard their self-interest, for e.g., prisoners, children, pregnant women, patients with intellectual/cognitive disability are not enrolled in the study.
* Take prescription pain medications for long-standing health conditions
* Addiction/ substance dependence
* Swelling that extends beyond the tooth in question
* Are already taking an antibiotic to treat an infection/swelling
* Missing complementary molar on the same or opposite side of the mouth
* Missing more than 2 teeth in a quadrant (other than 3rd molars)
* Any other molar in the pair either on the side of the tooth of interest or the molar pair on the other side is painful to biting pressure or upon 'tapping' the tooth with the handle of the mouth mirror
* The patient has taken a pain medication within the last 6 hours

Where it's running

• Rutgers School of Dental Medicine
  Newark, New Jersey, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Varvara Vanessa Chrepa, DDS, MS, PhD — Rutgers School of Dental Medicine
• Study coordinator: Gayathri D Subramanian, PhD, DMD
• Email: subramga@sdm.rutgers.edu
• Phone: 973 972 3418

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.