Floor Of Mouth And Palate Flashcards
What is the clinical appearance of the floor of the mouth?
Reddish pink
Vascular blue in vein areas
Shiny and moist
Compressible
Which epithelium is the floor of the mouth?
Non keratinised stratified squamous epithelial tissue
What is the structure of the floor of the mouth?
- extremely thin
- overlies very vascular lamina propria that can be seen through epithelium
- loose adipose connective tissue
- sublingual and submandibular salivary glands in submucosa layer
- loosely attached to underlying muscle to allow for some movement in tongue
What is lamina propria?
Layer of gingival connective tissue that lies between epithelial layer and mucous membrane
3 muscles that support the floor of the mouth
Mylohyoid
Hyoglossus
Geniohyoid
Where does the mylohyoid muscle originate and insert?
Originates - inner surface of the mandible.
Inserts - anterior surface of the hyoid bone body.
Action of the mylohyoid muscle?
Forms floor of oral cavity, elevates floor of mouth and hyoid bone.
Assists in depressing the mandible (opening)
What nerves supply mylohyoid muscle?
Mylohyoid brand of trigeminal nerve
What supples the blood to the mylohyoid muscle?
Inferior alveolar, sublingual and sub mental arteries
Origin and insertion points for the hyoglossus muscle
Originates: superior border of the greater Cornu of hyoid bone.
Inserts: lateral borders of the tongue.
Action of the hyoglossus muscle
Depressed and retracts the tongue
Pulls lateral edges of tongue down to floor of mouth
Nerve and blood supply of the hyoglossus muscle
Hyoglossal nerve
Lingual artery
Origin and insertion of the geniohyoid muscle
Originates: inferior genial tubercle (mental spine) on lingual surface of mandible, midline.
Inserts: body of hyoid bone
Action of geniohyoid muscle
Elevates and positions the hyoid bone
Shortens floor of mouth
Widens pharynx for swallowing
Nerve and blood supply of geniohyoid muscle
Hypoglassal nerve
Lingual artery (sublingual branch)
What is the lingual frenum
Fold of tissue found in midline near base of tongue; inferior surface of tongue and connects tongue to floor of mouth.
What is the sublingual papilla
Centrally positioned protrubence near the base of tongue.
Submandibular and sublingual saliva ducts open here.
2 sublingual folds laterally either side
What are mandibular Tori
Bony swellings sublingual to premolar region.
Usually above hyoid line.
Structure of ventral surface of tongue
Irregular fringe folds of mucous membrane lateral to lingual frenum.
Thin lining of non keratinised stratified squamous epithelium.
What is the hard and soft palate?
Hard - anterior 2/3
Soft - posterior 1/3
What does the hard palate separate?
Oral cavity from the nasal cavity
2 bones of the hard palate
Palatine process of maxilla
Horizontal plate of palatine bone
What does the hard palate aid with the function of?
Eating and speaking
Clinical appearance of the hard palate
Pink in appearance.
Immobile and firm.
More cushioned feeling towards lateral portions.
Firmer feeling towards medial portion.
What type of epithelium is the hard palate
Orthokeratinized stratified squamous epithelium
How do the midline, lateral, anterior and posterior portions of the hard palate appear and what do they contain
Midline- firmer, lamina propria attaches directly to bone, no submucosa.
Lateral- more cushioned, submucosa present.
Anterior- cushioned, adipose tissue and submucosa present.
Posterior- cushioned, contains minor hard palate salivary glands and submucosa
Key features of hard palate
High vaulted palate
Incisive papilla
Palatine rugae
Median palatine raphe
What is palatine torus
Bony overgrowth of palate
What is meant by the term vaulted palate
Dome shape of palate, varies from each individual, posterior border is concaved where it meets soft palate.
What is the incisive papilla
Small oval shape bump behind upper central incisors, covers nasopalatine nerves
What is the palatine rugae
A firm irregular tissue, radiates transversely from incisive papilla, some more pronounced than others.
What is the median palatine raphe
Midline of hard palate and covers median palatine suture.
What clinical changes to look for in the palate and floor of mouth?
Colour
Texture
Impact on function
What is the soft palate
Continuous anterior border with the hard palate with a free posterior border.
Moveable with no bony skeleton.
Clinical appearance of soft palate
Deeper pink (can be slightly yellowish)
Noise
Compressible and elastic
What type of epithelium is the soft palate
Nonkeratinized stratified squamous epithelium
Histology of the soft palate
Very thin submucosa, attaches to muscle to aid swallowing, speech and mastication.
Minor salivary glands.
Elastic layer to aid mobility.
Adipose tissue present - yellowish appearance.
Key features of soft palate
Uvula
Pillars of the fauces
Tonsillar fossa
Pterygomandibular fold
What is the pterygomandibular fold
Border that separates cheek from throat.
From junction of soft and hard palate and extends down to the distal surface of most posterior tooth.
Landmark for inferior dental nerve block.
What is the uvula
Muscular posterior margin of soft palate, extends downwards and backwards.
What does the tonsillar fossa house?
Palatine tonsil
What is the palatoglossal arch?
Anterior pillar
Soft tissue ridge on soft palate
Separates oral cavity from oropharynx
What is the palatooharyngeal arch?
Posterior pillar.
Soft tissue ridge on soft palate.
Extends from soft palate to side of pharynx.
Nerve innervation of the palate
Sensory innervation is supplied by maxillary nerve branches.
Hard palate - greater palatine and nasopalatine nerves.
Soft palate - lesser palatine nerves.
Blood supply of the palate
Hard palate - greater palatine artery.
Soft palate - lesser palatine artery.
