Influence of pressure on the human maxillary canine during jaw movement

Abstract

I studied kinesiologically the variations in human habitual jaw movements without tooth contact when pressure was applied to the right or left maxillary canines from the lingual or labial direction. Applying this pressure caused lateral and anterior displacement of the jaw during movement. This reflex varied with changes in the direction and magnitude of the applied load. These results indicate that the periodontal receptors affect coordination of cranio-mandibular muscle activities during jaw movement.