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Combination of Buffered Anesthetic to Treat Mandibular Molars

Buffered vs Unbuffered Local Anesthesia Using Lidocaine, Carbocaine, and Articaine in Mandibular Molars Diagnosed With Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis

Status
Terminated
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06047366
Enrollment
40
Registered
2023-09-21
Start date
2023-12-05
Completion date
2024-05-15
Last updated
2025-05-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis

Keywords

lidocaine, articaine, mepivacaine, buffered local anesthetic, irreversible pulpitis

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a combination of anesthetics (numbing medicine) will adequately anesthetize teeth over a different combination. A second purpose is to see if the time needed to numb the nerve in a tooth is different between the two anesthetics.

Detailed description

60 human subjects with Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis (SIP) in mandibular molars will be randomly allocated into 2 groups. One group will receive a combination of: 1 cartridge of buffered 2% lidocaine w/ 1:100k epi via inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) followed by 1 cartridge of 3% mepivacaine via IANB. This will be followed by 0.5 cartridges (0.9mL) of buffered 4% articaine with 1:100k epi via buccal infiltration and 0.5 cartridges of buffered 4% articaine with 1:100k epi via lingual infiltration. All IANB injections will include a lingual block. The second group will be provided an unbuffered version of the same combination. An electronic pulp tester (EPT) will be used to determine the vitality of the treated tooth. Endodontic treatment will be initiated after two consecutive EPT readings of 80, displaying pulpal anesthesia. Profound pulpal anesthesia is described by the patient's report on the visual analog scale after the pulpotomy.

Interventions

DRUGSodium bicarbonate

Onpharma's Onset sodium bicarbonate buffer to be added to a standard cartridge of dental local anesthetic

DRUGLidocaine w/ epi

Septodont's standard formulation of 2% lidocaine with epinephrine

DRUGArticaine w/ epi

Septodont's standard formulation of 4% articaine with epinephrine

DRUGMepivacaine plain

Septodont's standard formulation of 3% mepivacaine

Sponsors

Indiana University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator)

Masking description

A statistician will provide a two-product randomization scheme which will randomize each of the 60 subjects on the order of their entry into the study. The research assistants will be aware of and document this scheme, but the student researcher/PI will not know what type of anesthetic will be administered.

Intervention model description

This study will be a single-center, controlled, randomized, double-blind (provider and subject), 2 treatment, 1 period, parallel study

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Be between the ages of 18 and 80 years old * Have the ability and willingness to independently consent to treatment and study participation * Have an uncomplicated medical history (ASA I and II) * Not be pregnant * Have no allergies local anesthetics/sulfites (confirmed or self-reported) * Not be taking any medications that may affect the proper assessment of the anesthetic (no acetaminophen or short-acting NSAIDs such as ibuprofen within the previous 6 hours; no long-acting NSAIDs such as naproxen within the previous 16 hours) * Not require nitrous oxide during treatment, and the injection area should appear healthy with no other pre-existing conditions or infections that may compromise an accurate collection of data * Be experiencing signs of irreversible pulpitis (an exaggerated response to cold that lingers longer than 10 seconds) in a mandibular molar at the time of conducting the study

Exclusion criteria

* A negative response to cold in the proposed treatment tooth * A radiographic periradicular pathosis more advanced than a widened periodontal ligament or have an intraoral swelling

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Median Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) Score as a Measure of Profoundness of Pulpal AnesthesiaUp to 20 minutes post-drug administrationPatient will report their comfort during treatment based on a visual analogue scale (VAS) graphic. Visual analog scale (VAS) is based on a scale of 0-10 related to patient comfort. A VAS score of 10 would mean the patient was extremely uncomfortable during treatment indicating there was inadequate anesthesia. A VAS score of 0 indicates no pain.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Median Time to Profound Pulpal AnesthesiaUp to 15 minutes post-drug administrationAn electronic pulp tester will be used to assess anesthesia after anesthetic is administered. The median time needed to achieve profound pulpal anesthesia for the two groups will be calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with a log-rank test, with patients who failed to achieve profound pulpal anesthesia censored at 15 minutes.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Buffered
Buffered 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine Buffered 4% articaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine Buffered 3% mepivacaine Buffered local anesthetic (addition of sodium bicarbonate to make a 10% buffered solution) Sodium bicarbonate: Onpharma's Onset sodium bicarbonate buffer to be added to a standard cartridge of dental local anesthetic Lidocaine w/ epi: Septodont's standard formulation of 2% lidocaine with epinephrine Articaine w/ epi: Septodont's standard formulation of 4% articaine with epinephrine Mepivacaine plain: Septodont's standard formulation of 3% mepivacaine
20
Unbuffered
Unbuffered 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine Unbuffered 4% articaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine Unbuffered 3% mepivacaine Standard local anesthetics Lidocaine w/ epi: Septodont's standard formulation of 2% lidocaine with epinephrine Articaine w/ epi: Septodont's standard formulation of 4% articaine with epinephrine Mepivacaine plain: Septodont's standard formulation of 3% mepivacaine
20
Total40

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicUnbufferedTotalBuffered
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
20 Participants40 Participants20 Participants
Age, Continuous28 years33.5 years39 years
Race and Ethnicity Not Collected0 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
20 participants40 participants20 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
13 Participants25 Participants12 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
7 Participants15 Participants8 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 200 / 20
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 200 / 20
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 200 / 20

Outcome results

Primary

Median Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) Score as a Measure of Profoundness of Pulpal Anesthesia

Patient will report their comfort during treatment based on a visual analogue scale (VAS) graphic. Visual analog scale (VAS) is based on a scale of 0-10 related to patient comfort. A VAS score of 10 would mean the patient was extremely uncomfortable during treatment indicating there was inadequate anesthesia. A VAS score of 0 indicates no pain.

Time frame: Up to 20 minutes post-drug administration

Population: Patients who achieved profound pulpal anesthesia

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
BufferedMedian Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) Score as a Measure of Profoundness of Pulpal Anesthesia0 units on a scale
UnbufferedMedian Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) Score as a Measure of Profoundness of Pulpal Anesthesia0 units on a scale
p-value: 0.18Wilcoxon (Mann-Whitney)
Secondary

Median Time to Profound Pulpal Anesthesia

An electronic pulp tester will be used to assess anesthesia after anesthetic is administered. The median time needed to achieve profound pulpal anesthesia for the two groups will be calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with a log-rank test, with patients who failed to achieve profound pulpal anesthesia censored at 15 minutes.

Time frame: Up to 15 minutes post-drug administration

ArmMeasureValue (MEDIAN)
BufferedMedian Time to Profound Pulpal Anesthesia5.28 minutes
UnbufferedMedian Time to Profound Pulpal Anesthesia7.96 minutes
p-value: 0.09Log Rank

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026