The psychophysical assessments of tactile, temperature and electrical perception for implants with metal prosthetic surfaces.

The tactile function and thermal perception are two primary functions of oral structures. Implants without periodontal ligament and pulp might fail to sense the tactile and temperature change. This study aimed to investigate implants' tactile, thermal, and electrical perception by detailed psychophysical assessments.

Response of the somatosensory cortex following thermal stimuli to dental implants.

In the current study, we investigated the cortical response of the somatosensory cortex following thermal stimuli to dental implants. Five implants were inserted at the site of the left upper canine with immediate implant placement protocols in five cats. Intrinsic signal optical imaging was applied to measure the cortical responses evoked by thermal sensing via dental implants.

The role of gingival mechanoreceptors in the tactile function of dental implants.

Dental implants seem to restore some degree of tactile function. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of gingival mechanoreceptors in dental-implant osseoperception at the cortical-response level. The gingiva of the upper-left canine implant was stripped off under local anesthesia in five cats.

Investigating the role of gingiva in the tactile function of teeth at the cortical level.

The role of the gingiva in the tactile perception of teeth is unclear, and the physiological basis of tooth tactile function needs to be examined at the cortical response level. In the presented study, gingiva from the upper left canine was removed under local anesthesia from five cats. Intrinsic signal optical imaging was used to measure population response characteristics of the cat oral-related cortex when punctate mechanical stimuli were separately applied to the left gingiva-stripped canine and right intact canine.