Reflex control of human jaw muscles by periodontal mechanoreceptors

Funding Activity

Website
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/104810

Funding Status
Closed

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Funded Activity Summary

An understanding of the functional connection between the jaw muscles and various receptor organs in and around the mouth is necessary to elucidate the process of chewing and its underlying rules. Unless the details of this functional connection in health and disease are thoroughly understood, the diagnosis and treatment of chewing related disorders will remain at the present state. For example: a We still do not know why chewing in edentulous subjects is less efficient and why the bite forces in these individuals immediately fall to about 20 % of the teethed value. Do jaw muscles in these subjects get weak because they get less support from the receptor organs around the teeth? a We still do not understand the cause-causes of the temporomandibular dysfunction (a painful disease involving jaw muscles) which forms 18.7 % of total dental patients consulted per week in South Australia. This South Australian study indicated that the current treatments (such as pain killers, night plates, massage) Ocures? only about the half of all patients. We cannot increase the success of the treatment if we do not fully understand the control mechanisms of chewing? It is expected that the results of this study will establish the functional connection between one of the most important receptor organs in the mouth (periodontal mechanoreceptors) to the jaw muscle motoneurons in subjects with healthy teeth and gums and will illustrate the importance of keeping the periodontium healthy for developing strong and smooth masticatory forces. This knowledge can also allow us to treat jaw related disorders by approaches that bring back normal operation of the system. For example, this knowledge may help us design active dentures that replace the missing support.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2000

End Date: 01-01-2002

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $405,173.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Medical virology

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Bite force and chewing efficiency | Importance of teeth and their support structures | Mechanical tooth stimulation | Periodontal Mechanoreceptors | Reflex control of human jaw muscles | Single motor unit action potentials | Surface electromyography | Temporomandibular dysfunction | Tooth loss and denture

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