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July/August 2007 Alternative Health
Good Vibrations

by Jay Harris Levy, D.D.S.

How 'Smart' Teeth Use Vibrations to Size Up a Meal

In the span of a lifetime, we pulverize vast quantities of food with our teeth. The goal of chewing is to fracture food into small, easy to digest bits. If we are to live long productive lives, our teeth must accomplish this goal without fracturing themselves. Protective tooth reflexes enable the teeth to endure many years of hard chewing without breakage.

Teeth possess brilliant adaptations that enable them to endure the rigors of chewing. Each tooth contains thousands of tiny nerve endings encased in dentin and enamel - the two hardest substances in the body. Through my research at Oregon Health & Science University, I found that teeth are quite good at sensing vibrations. They use vibration sense to explore the texture and consistency of a meal, providing the brain with essential information about its physical properties.

While eating, the brain almost instantly compares a meal's texture and hardness with foods that teeth have encountered in the past and determines the best chewing strategy. Optimal chewing forces and rhythms are chosen based on this tactile sensory feedback.

Sometimes tactile feedback informs the brain that the best strategy is to immediately stop chewing and spit out that rock that made it into your lentil soup. Safe chewing requires this kind of fast-acting reflex behavior. The speed of the reflexes that protect the teeth is second only to those reflexes that that protect the eyes.

Teeth are literally plugged in to the central nervous system and may be considered tactile sensory organs.

Jay Harris Levy, D.D.S., is a holistic dentist practicing in Portland. Contact him by phone at 503-222-2157 or email at jaylevy@easystreet.com.