Comparison of brain activation via tooth stimulation

The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensation of each tooth type at the cortical level. The tactical sensation from teeth plays an important role in controlling the masticatory system. However, the role of each tooth type has not been determined. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to detect changes in cerebral blood flow in the somatosensory cortex of 12 healthy volunteers. Painless vibrotactile stimuli were applied to 8 teeth (left maxillary and mandibular incisors, canines, 1(st) premolars, or 1(st) molars). The somatosensory cortex was activated during stimulation of all teeth. A comparison of cortical activation revealed significantly greater activation during stimulation of the maxillary and mandibular first molars. However, no significant differences were seen between any other teeth. These results indicate that the first molar is the most sensitive tooth type at the cortical level, and provide basic data on the relationship between input from individual tooth type and brain activation. These data could be useful for understanding the neural mechanisms of individual tooth types.