fleshy tissue between tooth and tooth socket that holds the tooth in place, attaches it to the adjacent teeth, and enables it to resist the stresses of chewing. It develops from the follicular sac that surrounds the embryonic tooth during growth.

The periodontal membrane contains blood vessels and sensory nerve endings for pain, touch, and proprioceptive sensation (sensation arising from stimuli within rather than outside the body), the latter providing the central nervous system with the feedback information necessary for coordinated muscle activity in complex activities such as mastication and swallowing.