Oral Physiology contains the proceedings of the Wenner-Gren Center International Symposium held in Stockholm, Sweden in August 1971. Contributors explore common problems and trends in oral physiology, from the regulation of salivary glands and the role of electrolytes in the formation of saliva to neural mechanisms underlying salivary excretion, the effect of citric acid on parotid flow, and secretion of salivary glycoproteins. Circulation of the tongue, monitoring of oral circulation, physiology of mastication, and development of fetal gustatory receptors are also covered. This volume consists of 27 chapters and begins with a discussion of mechanisms underlying control of different types of effector cells that comprise the salivary gland. The reader is methodically introduced to the nerves to the parotid gland, electrolyte and water transport in salivary glands, neural mechanisms controlling the excretion of saliva, and how the function of salivary fibers is affected by different conditions situated along the course of the seventh and ninth cranial nerves. The next chapters focus on the effect of citric acid on the variance of the parotid flow rate, ductal transport processes and glandular effects of neurotransmitters and pharmacological agents, and neuro-effector sites in salivary glands. The book concludes by presenting experimental evidence indicating that nerve impulses can be recorded from dentine. This book will be useful for researchers and teachers not only of oral physiology, but also of odontology and medicine in general.
