Hypoglossal responses elicited by periodontal afferent activation in the rat.

Mechanical stimulation of the ipsilateral incisor tooth in the rat evoked reflex discharges in the hypoglossal nerve branch innervating the intrinsic and extrinsic tongue muscles. Stimulation elicited biphasic potentials in the whole XIIth nerve and influenced the unitary firing rate in 54 out of 80 fibers tested. The fiber responses were characterized by excitation or inhibition in frequency discharge or sequences of excitation-inhibition or inhibition-excitation. The results observed suggest that the periodontal-hypoglossal reflexes play a role in the control of tongue position during mastication.