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Our Amazing Nervous System and Our Mouth

Posted in Dental Care, Dental Surgery, and General Dentistry

We Feel With Our Teeth

If you watch cooking shows you will notice that the best chefs always add texture to their creations in addition to flavor and color. Our amazing nervous system is comprised of millions of neurons that run through our whole body like tree branches. Our mouth is very sensitive. Even though our teeth are the hardest part of our bodies, we can feel with them. We feel texture not just with our tongue, but with our whole mouth including our teeth, and it all adds to the joy we get from different foods. 

Misalignment Causing Back Pain

Researchers have found that because our nervous system is a pathway through our whole body, problems in one area of that system can negatively affect other areas of the body. For example, in the United States a patient’s new dental bridge caused his jaw to be misaligned. It was later diagnosed that the misaligned jaw was also the reason for his severe back pain.

Dentists and Anesthetic

Dentists know the nerves in your mouth well. They wear a second hat in that they’re not just surgeons but also (like) anesthesiologists. You may have noticed that when a dentist applies local anesthetic it sometimes can be away from the exact area of the tooth needing repair.  That is because they are aiming for a larger branch of that tooth’s nerve. Because of their size it is almost impossible to freeze the nerves of just a single tooth.

In your mouth there are three main branches of your nervous system responsible for all the feeling in your mouth. Your lower nose, and upper mouth have one main branch called the Maxillary Nerve. The Supierior Aveolar Nerve branches from the Maxillary Nerve and supplies feeling to the upper teeth and surrounding gum-line. The lower jaw and tongue get nerve innovation from the Mandibular branch. From which, the Inferior Alveolar Nerve supplies the chin and lower teeth, while the Lingual Nerve gives your tongue its diverse sensations. Every branch mentioned is a branch of the main Trigeminal Nerve.

Get a Dentist You Trust

In this short article we are just scratching the surface. Our amazing nervous system and the nerves in our mouth can bring us great joy, enhancing the food we eat, feeling the sun on our face, and so many other wonderful sensations. But as we learned, damage to one nerve in our mouth can adversely affect us as a whole. We need to look after our oral health. This involves having an experienced dentist that you can trust with your sensitive mouth and teeth. One who knows it well.

Learn why Erbsville Dental’s tag line is “Caring, Friendly, Experienced.” Book an appointment today.