Dr. Joshua Emrick’s Team Sheds New Light on Protective Tooth Nerve Function in Cell Reports Study

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Ann Arbor, Mich, Aug. 6, 2025 – Joshua J. Emrick, DDS, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics (BMSP), shines a spotlight on the sensory neurons in teeth in a recent publication in the journal Cell Reports.

The study, “Intradental mechano-nociceptors serve as sentinels that prevent tooth damage,” discovered a fundamental function for tooth nerves: they activate a preventative reflex to reduce injury of teeth. The report expands our understanding of these nerves beyond their well-known ability to cause excruciating pain, underscoring the importance of healthy nerves in the dental pulp because they actively preserve teeth.

Emrick’s research team, led by postdoctoral fellow Dr. Elizabeth Ronan, looked at how nerve cells react to stimulation of the molar teeth of mice in real time and manipulated them to learn the consequence of their activation. Their experiments revealed highly-specialized sensory neurons (intradental High-Threshold MechanoReceptors) monitor from the inside of the tooth and respond to its external damage, then relay the message rapidly to the brain for almost instantaneous, automatic action. 

The research team included co-authors Drs. Tomer Stern and Peng Li (both assistant professors in BMSP) in addition to members of their labs and other collaborators within the U-M research community (Drs. Bing Ye and Kevin Pipe).

For more information, see this article on the university’s Michigan News website or see the full publication here.

The University of Michigan School of Dentistry is one of the nation’s leading dental schools engaged in oral healthcare education, research, patient care and community service.  General dental care clinics and specialty clinics providing advanced treatment enable the school to offer dental services and programs to patients throughout Michigan.  Classroom and clinic instruction prepare future dentists, dental specialists and dental hygienists for practice in private offices, hospitals, academia and public agencies.  Research seeks to discover and apply new knowledge that can help patients worldwide.  For more information about the School of Dentistry, visit us on the Web at: www.dent.umich.edu.  Email: [email protected], or (734) 615-1971.