The Jaw Motions Relative to the Skull and Their Influence on Hearing by Bone Conduction

Abstract

Opening and closing the mouth increases the sound pressure produced by bone conduction in the closed auditory canal by as much as 6-10 dbs with frequencies between 40 cps and 700 cps. This difference is explained by vibrations of the lower jaw relative to the skull. The resonance curve of this motion was measured and used to calculate the influence of the lower jaw motion on the sound level in the closed auditory canal. The results show that the measured frequency response of the difference in sound pressure, open mouth vs. closed mouth, may be explained entirely by vibrations of the lower jaw.