Abstract
Abstract
Background:
Research studies have shown acupuncture to have efficacy in the treatment of dental pain, as confirmed by the 1997 NIH Consensus Conference on Acupuncture.
Objective:
To determine if dry needling acupuncture at Hegu Large Intestine 4 acupoint (LI 4) can reduce the dental pulp sensory threshold produced by electrical pulp stimulation of incisor teeth.
Design and Setting:
A prospective, randomized placebo-controlled, single-blinded pilot study at the Universidad Mayor (university dental clinic), Santiago, Chile.
Participants:
A total of 40 healthy adults who had never received acupuncture, who were not receiving anticoagulant medication, nor had any incisor dental restorations.
Intervention:
Manual stimulation of LI 4 or sham acupuncture with a blunt needle that only touched the skin without penetrating it.
Main Outcome Measures:
Dental pulp sensory threshold evoked by pulp stimulation.
Results:
No significant differences in pain reduction were found between the volunteers who received real acupuncture and those who received the placebo intervention.
Conclusion:
Acupuncture performed at LI 4 did not reduce dental pulp sensory threshold.
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