Twin Block, Pain Medications and Third Molar Extractions
Status:
Not yet recruiting
Trial end date:
2022-06-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Each year, over 3.5 million, mostly, healthy young adults, have their third molar teeth
('wisdom teeth') removed under sedation and are often given opioid prescriptions for managing
their pain. Wisdom molar removal is one of the most common reasons for opioid prescriptions
to be given to adolescents. There is a national thrust to reduce both the dose and the
duration of such opioid prescriptions because even short-term opioid exposures increase risk
for narcotic addiction and misuse. Non-opioid options to manage pain will still allow for
sufficient pain control without risking addiction, and hence, a fundamental component of our
response to combat the current national opioid crisis.
The investigators are going to study a promising option- the Twin Block dental anesthetic
injection. The Twin block involves injecting the standard dental numbing medication in a way
that 'numbs' the 'jaw-clencher' muscles on the side of the face. The investigators found that
the Twin block relieved jaw pain stemming from these muscles, in a quick and sustained
manner, even in patients whose pain following wisdom tooth removal primarily came from 'taut'
and tender jaw-clencher muscles. However, what is not known is- how often do patients who
have their wisdom teeth removed under sedation, end up in significant pain from taut and
tender jaw-clencher muscles? Will using the twin block effectively reduce pain in such
patients? In this pilot study, the investigators will examine wisdom molar extraction
patients one day after their procedure. Those with significant pain (pain rated ≥ 5 on a 0-10
scale) in their jaw-clencher muscles, will get either the Twin block injection or a placebo.
The investigators will track both 1) pain before and after the injection, and 2) pain
medication usage over a 7-day period to see if both pain and opioid dosage come down with the
Twin block. This study can support a simple, safe and inexpensive means to reduce pain after
a common procedure.