Periodontal receptors are present in the Periodontal

ligament.
The receptors in PDL
record sense of :
1- Touch
2- Pain
3- Pressure
The PDL also contains
proprioceptors giving
information concerning
movements & positions .
Types of receptors present in
PDL:
1- Nociceptors for pain which preceive painful
stimuli which result in both pain preception & reflex
responses by rapidly opening of the mouth.

2-mechano receptors which respond to physical

deformation of the plasma membrane caused by touch
and pressure .

3- mechano receptors for proprioception

detect tooth contact during function & reflexly
controls the mandibular movement & play an
important role in the control of masticatory cycle .
 Due to the presence of receptors in the PD membrane ,
small forces applied on the teeth may be identified , for
ex., the presence of a very thin (10-30µm) metal foil
(strip) placed between the teeth during occlusion can
readily be identified. Mechanoreceptors are activated
by tooth movements as little as 1-3 microns .

 Also the movements which brings the teeth of the

mandible in contact with the occlusal surfaces of the
maxillary teeth is arrested reflexively &altered into on
opening movement if an inert particle is detected in the
chew . Thus, the receptors in the PDL together with
proprioceptors in muscles & tendons, Play an essential
part in the regulation of chewing movements &
chewing forces.
Innervation of PDL:

The PDL is abundantly supplied with sensory

nerve fibers capable of transmitting tactile ,
pressure & pain sensation by the trigeminal
pathway in to their trophic center in the semilunar
ganglion.

 While the proprioceptive nerves have the trophic

center in the more centrally positioned
mesencephalic nucleus .
.
Nerve bundles pass in to the PDL from the periapical
area & through channels from the alveolar bone
follow the course of the blood vessels.

They are divided into single myelinated fibers which

ultimately lose their myelin sheath & end in one of
these types of neural terminations
 Types and distribution of neural
termination in PDL
. 1-Free endings have a tree like configuration
which include nociceptors (pain receptors) ,that
carry pain sensation through a small diameter
nerve fibers.
2-Ruffini-like mechano receptors ,are flatted,
elongated capsule containing a few nerve fibers,
they respond tonically to heavy continuous touch
or pressure located primarily in apical area.
3-Tactile ( meissners) corpuscles also mechano
receptors , are tall , ovoid –to pear shaped consist
of 2 or 3 nerve fibers , and are phasic receptors
for light touch , texture and low frequency
vibration , are found mainly in the mid root area.
The periodontal ligament is richly innervated by
mechano receptors whose cell bodies are located
either in:
 Trigeminal ganglion (TG).

 Mesencephalic (MS) trigeminal nucleus.

nucleus

Both are sensitive to stretch of ligament induced by

tooth movement , but they are different in

 Thresh.
 Central connections.
 Functional significance .
 MS &TG receptors in PDL has a different
distribution in the PDL ,in CAT teeth shows
that
 Mechano receptors with bodies in MS are

unevenly distributed between the fulcrum &

apex of the tooth.
 Mechano receptors with bodies in TG are

distributed more equally between the fulcrum

& apex of the tooth.
 Adaptation of the mechano receptors:

1- Rapidly adapting receptors are loosely attached to

the surrounding tissue & slippage occurs during
sustained displacement of the tissue .They could
function to signal initial contact with food or opposing
teeth .

2- Slowly adapting receptors are those which are more

firmly attached to the surrounding tissue .They are
useful for discriminating tooth stimulated ,the stimulus
direction ,intensity &change of pressure applied to the
tooth.
Slowly adapting receptors are subjected to force
only just above threshold , behave like rapidly
adapting receptors.

Distribution of mechanoreceptors :
A total of 127 periodontal mechanoreceptor
neurons are dissected from the inferior alveolar
nerve in 9 cats
 Of these 105 are classified as slowly adapting
PD mechanoreceptors in that , they are
responded to both phasic & sustained
components of a force applied to the tooth
crown.

 Twenty two are classified as rapidly adapting

PD mechanoreceptors they are responded
while the force is being applied but does not
continue to fire during a sustained force.
Of these 127 PD Mechanoreceptors , 30situated
within labial part of the PDL.

 The 23slowly adapting receptors are in the

apical third of the ligament.

 The 7 rapidly adapting receptors are closure to

the fulcrum than to the apex.