Mechanisms of oral sensation

Sensory nerves that supply mechanoreceptors in the mucosal lining of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx provide the substrate for a variety of sensations. They are essential for the perception of complex or composite sensory experiences including oral kinesthesia and oral stereognosis. Relevant to the concerns of the oral health care delivery specialist they also contribute to initiation of reflexes and coordination and timing of patterned motor behaviors. The response of oral mechanoreceptors to natural stimuli is determined to a large degree by morphological factors such as the nature of the relationship between nerve ending and certain cellular specializations, their distribution in the mucosa, the diameter of their primary afferent nerve fibers, and the central distribution of these fibers in the brainstem. Because of morphological similarities to certain cutaneous mechanoreceptors, the mucosal lining may be considered as an internal continuation of the large "receptor sheet" for localization and detection of mechanical stimuli. In some regions of the oral, pharyngeal, and laryngeal mucosa, this analogy is appropriate whereas in others, existing data suggest a different role consistent with regionally specific demands (i.e., initiation of protective reflexes).