Clinical Trial: Ear Plugs Versus Acupressure for Management of Severe Gag Reflex

Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Recruiting
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Ear Plugs Versus Acupressure for Management of Severe Gag Reflex: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Brief Summary: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of two proposed non-invasive techniques: the ear plug technique and acupressure on the P6 point in reducing gag reflex during impression making and to assess patient's experience in terms of comfort and satisfaction.

Detailed Summary:

The study will take place at the clinics of Riyadh Colleges of Dentistry and Pharmacy (RCsDP) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Patients, who on previous occasions have demonstrated difficulties in accepting the procedure of making impressions of maxillary teeth due to a severe gag reflex (GR) will be invited to participate in the study.

A Randomized single blinded clinical trial will be conducted on 30 participants who fulfill the inclusion criteria. Participants will be assigned to three separate groups. For each patient, two maxillary alginate impressions will be made; one before applying the proposed management technique and one after. Participants of Group EP (n=10) will be managed using earplugs while Group AC (n=10) will be managed using acupressure band and Group PL (n=10) will receive placebo management in forms of regular bands.

Informed consent will be obtained from all participants. All impressions will be made by one dentist that will be blinded to the gag reflex (GR) management techniques. The GR evaluation for all the participants will be performed by another calibrated dentist who is also blinded to the applied technique.

The severity of gag reflex will be assessed during making of the first impression using Dickinson & Fiske (2005) gagging severity index (GSI).

After 20 minutes of making the first impression, participants of Group EP will be asked to place the earplugs in and wait in the waiting room for 10 minutes. Then, the second impression will be made while the participant still has the earplugs on. Group AC will have acupressure technique via sea aid bands which will be placed on the P6 points of both hand wrists. Participants will be asked to wait in the wa
Sponsor: Riyadh Colleges of Dentistry and Pharmacy

Current Primary Outcome: Change from baseline Gagging severity index score [ Time Frame: At the time of first impression which is made before applying the intervention method (baseline score) and again at the time of the second impression which is made after application of the intervention method by 10 minutes ]

Gagging severity index (GSI) is a scale of gagging severity which ranges from 1 to 5 (very mild to very severe)


Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome: Change from baseline Visual Analogue Scale scoring of patient's satisfaction during impression making [ Time Frame: Directly after first impression which is made before applying the intervention (baseline score) and directly after the second impression which is made after application of the intervention method by 10 minutes ]

The participant will be asked to score their judgment of the impression experience on a 0-10 scale where 0 refers to extremely pleasant and 10 refers to extremely unpleasant


Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: Riyadh Colleges of Dentistry and Pharmacy

Dates:
Date Received: October 17, 2016
Date Started: October 25, 2016
Date Completion: January 2018
Last Updated: April 10, 2017
Last Verified: April 2017