Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
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.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Goddard et al. (2009) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: