A role of periodontal sensation in development of rhythmical chewing in dogs.

Abstract The sucking period of puppies was prolonged by 7 days and the start of rhythmical chewing was delayed to more than 50 postnatal days. In puppies having erupted teeth but no periodontal sensation due to nerve degeneration, chewing rhythm formation was delayed by 20 days. The rhythm of chewing was not affected by extraction of all primary teeth after rhythmical chewing had completed. These results suggest that afferent impulses from the periodontal mechanoreceptors play a role in the chewing rhythm formation at transition from sucking to chewing behavior in new born puppies.