Britannica Sources used in this answer

Why can teeth move slightly in their sockets during biting and chewing?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Medical illustration of a human knee joint in a parasagittal section just lateral to the midline, labeling ligaments, cartilage, meniscus, patella, synovial structures, and surrounding muscles and fat pads. — joint The ligaments and cartilage in a knee joint.

Teeth are held in their sockets by a fibrous joint known as a gomphosis. Within this joint, bundles of collagen fibers—part of the periodontal membrane—connect the root of the tooth to the wall of the socket.

There is a small amount of space between the tooth root and the socket, which allows the root to be pressed slightly deeper into the socket during biting or chewing. This slight movement serves three important functions:

It reduces the impact force between the upper and lower teeth during biting.1
It facilitates the circulation of blood and lymph from the periodontal membrane into the dental vessels.1
It stimulates sensory nerve terminals, which send feedback to the brain to help coordinate the muscles used in mastication and swallowing.12