Modification of human dental pain thresholds by conditioning vibrotactile stimulation at high frequency.
The effects of vibrotactile stimulation on dental pain thresholds were studied in 6 healthy human volunteers. Mechanoreceptive afferents were activated with conditioning sinusoidal vibration at 240 and 100 Hz. Significant dental pain threshold elevations were observed only when the conditioning stimulus was applied at high intensity ipsilaterally to the tested tooth. The present study suggests that the dental pain threshold elevation during high-frequency vibratory stimulation is based on the total number of impulses generated in mechanoreceptive afferents.
D000328:Adult; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D014070:Tooth / Q000502:physiology*; D014732:Vibration