Computer-controlled Local AnesthesiaRCTNCT07688018
Effectiveness of Computerized Local Anesthesia in Reducing Local Anesthesia in Reducing Child Pain During Injection
A study testing star pen and Conventional 4% articaine delivery by carpule syringe in people with Computer-controlled Local Anesthesia, run by Pharos University in Alexandria at 1 site in Egypt.
Trial summary
Pain and anxiety management during injection of local anesthesia are major challenges in pediatric dentistry. The injection of local anesthesia is often perceived by children as the most painful step , The introduction of computerized control local anesthetic delivery systems (CCLADS), such as the Star Pen device, has… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 4 to 6 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Computer-controlled Local Anesthesia
- What is being tested?
- star pen and Conventional 4% articaine delivery by carpule syringe
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion, Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- 1 siteEgypt
- Study dates
- 1 Jan 2026to 1 Jun 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 4 to 6 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Completion of the written informed consent form by parents/guardian.
- Children aged between 4 and 6 years.
- Medically fit patients classified as (ASA I).
- Cooperative children with a Frankl Behaviour Rating Scale of 3 or 4.
- Patients whom their primary molars are indicated for extraction, according to criteria of extraction of (AAPD).
Who cannot join
- Children with a history of allergy to local anaesthetic agents.
- Children who receive any analgesic drugs at least 24 h before treatment.
- Any inflammation or lesion in the injection site.
- Patients who have previous bad experience of dentistry to eliminate the possible impact of the child's previous painful or stressful experiences.
- Child coming for emergency treatment of pain.
- Teeth with ankylosed roots.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Effectiveness of Computerized Local Anesthesia in Reducing Local Anesthesia in Reducing Child Pain During Injection (Randomized Clinical Trial)
Pain and anxiety management during injection of local anesthesia are major challenges in pediatric dentistry. The injection of local anesthesia is often perceived by children as the most painful step , The introduction of computerized control local anesthetic delivery systems (CCLADS), such as the Star Pen device, has provided a modern approach for reducing discomfort during anesthesia. Additionally, the integrated music distraction feature enhances relaxation and cooperation during treatment.
Read the detailed description
: the aim of this study is to evaluate star pen computerized Local Anaesthesia in reducing child pain during injection, and its impact on child behavior during extraction of primary molars.
Materials and Methods: The research will be conducted in the form of a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial with a parallel design. A total of 40 healthy children aged 4-6 years will be selected from the Pediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Pharos University in Alexandria, Egypt. Cooperative Children with Frankl behavioral rating scale scores of 3 or 4 will be selected. Each child chosen will have at least one maxillary or mandibular primary molar that requires extraction. The guardian's written informed consent will be obtained. Participants will be assigned into two groups of 20 children each based on the dental arch where the extraction will be performed: Group I (mandibular group); and Group II (maxillary group). Each group will be further subdivided into two subgroups: test group using the star pen computerized local anesthesia, and control group using the conventional method; IANB in the mandible, and infiltration local anesthesia in the maxilla according to the method of delivery of local anaesthesia. In the present study, pain during injection will be assessed by three methods: physiologically using the heart rate, objectively using Sound, Eye, Motor (SEM) scale, and subjectively using a modified face scale from the Maunuksela scale. In each child extraction of one primary molar will be performed according to the AAPD and child behavior will be assessed using Frankl Rating Scale.
Results: To obtain the study's results and conclusions, data will be collected, tabulated, and statistically analysed using SPSS version 26.0, with a significance level set at p < 0.05.
- Conditions
- Computer-controlled Local Anesthesia
- Being tested
- star pen, Conventional 4% articaine delivery by carpule syringe
- Keywords
- Behavior management, Pediatric dentistry;
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
star penDevice
CCLADS
Conventional 4% articaine delivery by carpule syringeDevice
infiltration or inferior alveolar local anesthesia
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Mandibular (IANB) | Experimental | Mandibular (IANB) Receives: Device: star pen; Device: Conventional 4% articaine delivery by carpule syringe |
| Maxillary Infiltration | Experimental | Maxillary Infiltration Receives: Device: star pen; Device: Conventional 4% articaine delivery by carpule syringe |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
heart rate
measuring heart rate by pulse oximeter
Measured: The pulse oximeter will be placed on the patient's index finger to measure the the baseline heart rate (before giving the local anesthesia by 2 minutes), another measurement will be recorded during local anesthesia administration, and during extraction.
Sound, Eye, Motor (SEM) Scale
objective method for pain assessment during LA administration scores from 1-->4 score 1=comfort(low score) score 4=severe discomfort (high score)
Measured: will used as an objective method for pain assessment during anesthesia at end of injections immediately, after extraction immediately.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted7 Jul 2026
- Study start1 Jan 2026
- Primary completion1 Jun 2026
- Study completion1 Jun 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Computer-controlled Local AnesthesiaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Pharos University in Alexandria
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Nehal Salman, Pharos University in Alexandria
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07688018
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 460 - 6/01/2026
- Acronym
- RCT
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 30 Jun 2026
- Last updated
- 31 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 31 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effectiveness of Computerized Local Anesthesia in Reducing Local Anesthesia in Reducing Child Pain During Injection (Randomized Clinical Trial)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07688018
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- RCT / 460 - 6/01/2026
- Conditions
- Computer-controlled Local Anesthesia
- Keywords
- Behavior management, Pediatric dentistry;
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Pharos University in AlexandriaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Jun 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 7 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Pain and anxiety management during injection of local anesthesia are major challenges in pediatric dentistry. The injection of local anesthesia is often perceived by children as the most painful step , The introduction of computerized control local anesthetic delivery systems (CCLADS), such as the Star Pen device, has provided a modern approach for reducing discomfort during anesthesia. Additionally, the integrated music distraction feature enhances relaxation and cooperation during treatment.
Detailed description
: the aim of this study is to evaluate star pen computerized Local Anaesthesia in reducing child pain during injection, and its impact on child behavior during extraction of primary molars.
Materials and Methods: The research will be conducted in the form of a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial with a parallel design. A total of 40 healthy children aged 4-6 years will be selected from the Pediatric Dentistry Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Pharos University in Alexandria, Egypt. Cooperative Children with Frankl behavioral rating scale scores of 3 or 4 will be selected. Each child chosen will have at least one maxillary or mandibular primary molar that requires extraction. The guardian's written informed consent will be obtained. Participants will be assigned into two groups of 20 children each based on the dental arch where the extraction will be performed: Group I (mandibular group); and Group II (maxillary group). Each group will be further subdivided into two subgroups: test group using the star pen computerized local anesthesia, and control group using the conventional method; IANB in the mandible, and infiltration local anesthesia in the maxilla according to the method of delivery of local anaesthesia. In the present study, pain during injection will be assessed by three methods: physiologically using the heart rate, objectively using Sound, Eye, Motor (SEM) scale, and subjectively using a modified face scale from the Maunuksela scale. In each child extraction of one primary molar will be performed according to the AAPD and child behavior will be assessed using Frankl Rating Scale.
Results: To obtain the study's results and conclusions, data will be collected, tabulated, and statistically analysed using SPSS version 26.0, with a significance level set at p < 0.05.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Mandibular (IANB) | Experimental | Device: star pen, Device: Conventional 4% articaine delivery by carpule syringeMandibular (IANB) |
| Maxillary Infiltration | Experimental | Device: star pen, Device: Conventional 4% articaine delivery by carpule syringeMaxillary Infiltration |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 4 to 6 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Completion of the written informed consent form by parents/guardian.
- Children aged between 4 and 6 years.
- Medically fit patients classified as (ASA I).
- Cooperative children with a Frankl Behaviour Rating Scale of 3 or 4.
- Patients whom their primary molars are indicated for extraction, according to criteria of extraction of (AAPD).
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Children with a history of allergy to local anaesthetic agents.
- Children who receive any analgesic drugs at least 24 h before treatment.
- Any inflammation or lesion in the injection site.
- Patients who have previous bad experience of dentistry to eliminate the possible impact of the child's previous painful or stressful experiences.
- Child coming for emergency treatment of pain.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| star penCCLADS | Device | Mandibular (IANB), Maxillary Infiltration |
| Conventional 4% articaine delivery by carpule syringeinfiltration or inferior alveolar local anesthesia | Device | Mandibular (IANB), Maxillary Infiltration |
Primary outcome
heart rate
Time frame: The pulse oximeter will be placed on the patient's index finger to measure the the baseline heart rate (before giving the local anesthesia by 2 minutes), another measurement will be recorded during local anesthesia administration, and during extraction.
measuring heart rate by pulse oximeter
Sound, Eye, Motor (SEM) Scale
Time frame: will used as an objective method for pain assessment during anesthesia at end of injections immediately, after extraction immediately.
objective method for pain assessment during LA administration scores from 1-->4 score 1=comfort(low score) score 4=severe discomfort (high score)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 31 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing star pen and Conventional 4% articaine delivery by carpule syringe in people with Computer-controlled Local Anesthesia, run by Pharos University in Alexandria at 1 site in Egypt.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 31 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Egypt. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
heart rate (time frame: The pulse oximeter will be placed on the patient's index finger to measure the the baseline heart rate (before giving the local anesthesia by 2 minutes), another measurement will be recorded during local anesthesia administration, and during extraction.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 31 Jul 2026.