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How does movement in tooth sockets reduce the impact of biting?
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joint
The ligaments and cartilage in a knee joint.
The tooth socket, known as a gomphosis, is a specialized fibrous joint that connects the root of a tooth to the mandible or maxilla.
Movement within this joint reduces the impact of biting because the space between the tooth root and its socket allows the root to be pressed slightly deeper into the socket during the act of biting or chewing. This small degree of movement acts as a shock-absorbing mechanism, lessening the force of contact between the upper and lower teeth.1