Hearing and stomatognathic system: Searching for a link

Abstract

Acoustic vibrations reach the inner ear fluids in 3 integral ways: through the air, bone, and soft tissue. The final stimulation of the hearing receptor is recognized as the result of various interactions appearing between them. Air conduction is best described as the most efficient mode of auditory stimulation. Soft tissue and bone conduction (including dentaural hearing), being frequently underestimated in the complicated process of hearing, are still less examined. Clinical observations prove that dental health may have a direct influence on hearing. Additionally, hearing improvement after dental treatment is of a permanent nature. This review presents a hypothesis and supporting literature review that dental disorders may contribute to disturbances in the excitation and/or the transmission of vibrations through the bone to the hearing receptor. Dissociation in the relationship between stimuli reaching the cochlea simultaneously in 3 modes may have a negative impact on hearing acuity.