[Studies on the perception of periodontal stimuli]

The stimulation of the periodontium causes a reflex response of the jaw muscles and at the same time a perceptive reaction of the central nervous system. The aim of our study was to develop a method for the objective assessment of the subjective perception experienced after stimulating the periodontium. Seven healthy volunteers took part in these experiments in the course of which mechanical stimuli (2.5 N, 750 microseconds) were applied perpendicular to the tooth, thus leading to a stimulation of the periodontium. Sensory evoked potentials of the periodontium (SEP-PA) elicited from the EEG served as an objective measure of perception. A computerized analysis of the data thus obtained allows an assessment of the change in perception following repeated periodontal stimulation at different rates.