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Prostanoid Levels After Medication to Prevent Pain Following Third Molar (Wisdom Tooth) Extraction

NCT00078104 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE2 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 148

Last updated 2008-03-04

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study will evaluate how well different medications work to relieve pain following third molar (wisdom tooth) extraction. Scientists believe that hormone-like substances called prostanoids contribute to pain following oral surgery. Prostanoids are produced by cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. This study will examine how different medicines inhibit the COX enzymes and reduce the amount of prostanoids, and thus the amount of inflammation and pain. The study will also look at genetic factors involved in the production of prostanoids and the response to pain medication. (Only the bottom two wisdom teeth are extracted for this study. Patients whose top wisdom teeth also need to be removed will have those teeth extracted, also free of charge, at least 2 weeks after the first surgery.)

Healthy normal volunteers between 16 and 35 years of age who are in general good health and who require third molar extraction may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history and oral examination, including dental x-rays as needed to confirm the need for third molar removal.

On the morning of surgery, patients have blood drawn to obtain DNA for genetic study. Women of childbearing age have a urine pregnancy test. One hour before surgery, patients receive a dose of rofecoxib (Vioxx® (Registered Trademark)), acetaminophen (Tylenol® (Registered Trademark)), or placebo (a pill with no active ingredient). A half-hour before surgery, they receive either a standard painkiller called keterolac (Toradol® (Registered Trademark))) or placebo through an arm vein. All patients also receive the sedative midazolam (Versed® (Registered Trademark)), also through an arm vein, to induce drowsiness and a local anesthetic (lidocaine) to numb the mouth. After the mouth is numbed, but before the wisdom teeth are extracted, a biopsy (removal of a small piece of tissue) is conducted in the area of the cheek next to the wisdom tooth.

After the surgery, a small piece of tubing is placed into both extraction sites. Every 20 minutes for the next 3 hours, inflammatory fluid is collected from the tubing to measure chemicals that are believed to cause pain and swelling. Patients complete questionnaires every 20 minutes to rate their pain. Those who still have pain an hour after surgery may request and receive a "rescue drug" called tramadol (Ultram® (Registered Trademark)) for pain relief. Patients remain in the clinic from 3 to 6 hours to monitor the effects of the study drugs as the anesthetic wears off.

After surgery a second biopsy is done to measure any changes in the chemicals being produced in response to the surgery. For this biopsy, patients are assigned to one of two groups - one group has the second biopsy within 3 hours of surgery, before taking the rescue drug, and the other group returns to the clinic the next morning for a biopsy 24 hours after surgery. Patients in the second group leave the clinic after surgery with two pain medications (tramadol and the study drug) and forms to record pain ratings at home. They are permitted to take only the pain medications provided and only at certain times.

At the end of their participation in the study, all patients are given the pain medication flurbiprofen (Ocufen® (Registered Trademark)) to take at home.

Conditions

  • Healthy
  • Tooth Extraction

Interventions

PROCEDURE

Extraction of wisdom teeth

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

    lead NIH

Study Design

Purpose
TREATMENT

Eligibility

Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2004-02-29
Completion
2005-10-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00078104 on ClinicalTrials.gov