Mechanisms of tooth eruption in a computer-generated analysis of functional jaw deformations in man.

Two mechanisms that contribute to tooth eruption are proposed from analysis of the human jaws as elastic structures which are deformed intermittently under functional occlusal loads. One possible source of eruptive force is the transient pressure gradient established within each jaw as it is deformed. The second source, suggested by the computer model, is a consequence of the tension placed on periodontal-ligament fibres as individual tooth-sockets are distorted within the deformed jaws.