Oral Cavity, Tongue, Oral Mucosa Flashcards
What forms the anterior border of the mouth?
The lips
- What makes up the oral cavity proper?
Teeth, lingual of alveolar ridges, hard and soft palates, fauces, ant & post pillars and tongue and floor of the mouth.
*Versus Entire Oral cavity also includes structures from teeth outward: vestibule mainly.
What are the red free margins of the lips called and what type of epithelium is found here?
Vermilion borders. Usually parakeratinized – dry epithelium. The lips do not have glands.
- Describe the area of the labial vestibule?
From the vermilion border of the lips to the anterior teeth, includes the space and the alveolar mucosa labially.
- What is the area called where the mucosa of the lips or cheeks becomes the attached gingiva?
Mucogingival junction / or line
What is a frenum?
Fold of tissue – connecting alveolar mucosa to labial or buccal mucosa or sometimes to the mucogingival area OR to attached gingiva
Name the frenum in the oral cavity and identify their locations.
Maxillary: labial / and buccal (bilateral)
Mandibular: labial / and lingual (ventral of tongue) and often buccal (bilateral)
What is a diastema and what may be the cause of a diastema?
A space between 2 teeth > 2 mm. May be caused by 1) High frenum attachment onto the attached gingival. Teeth can’t close as a result of the pull. *Recession may also result from a diastema, or 2) it may be a genetic trait – a result of the natural spacing of the teeth (small teeth / large arch)
What is tori and where may they be located?
They are bony protuberance or growths. Located midline of the hard palate & / or lingual of the mandibular alveolar ridge opposite the premolars (most likely).
What significance are tori?
About 80% of adult have them. Occur more frequent with age. If growth continues they may require surgical removal – dentures may also need surgical intervention. Dentures will be difficult to fit without treatment. Radiographs may also be challenging for placing during dental care
- Where is the anterior pillar or palatoglossal fold located?
In front of the palatine tonsil – fold of tissue with underlying muscle from soft palate to the base of the tongue.
What is the uvula?
Midline soft tissue structure / muscle underlying that hangs vertical from the soft palate; one of the muscles of the soft palate.
Where is the retromolar pad?
Posterior to the last molar in the mandibular arch / bilateral
What is ANKYLOGLOSSIA or tongue-tie caused from?
Tight / short lingual frenum. Often congenital. Problems with eating, speech, collapse of arch etc.
Where are the sublingual caruncles located and what are they the opening of?
Floor of the mouth at the base of the lingual frenum (bilateral)
Wharton’s duct: sublingual and submandibular salivary glands.
What is the tongue?
Epithelial lined sac filled with muscles, blood vessels (bv’s), adipose tissue and other connective tissue (CT).
What type of epithelium is present on the dorsal (dorsum) surface of the tongue?
Specialized – Stratified squamous epithelium (SSE)
Name the papillae of the tongue, where they are located and their functions
Filiform – anterior 2/3 on the dorsal surface / tactile function
Fungiform – scattered on dorsal surface / mainly ant. 2/3 / taste function
Foliate – posterior lateral borders – reddish vertical ridges / taste
Circumvallate – posterior border of ant 2/3 and post 1/3. 8-12 or so mushroom shaped structures in inverted V / taste
What is the purpose of the lingual tonsils?
Lymphoid tissue posterior 1/3 of dorsal and some on lateral borders (post). Defense mechanism / filters bacteria in localized region.
What are the three types / categories of oral mucous membrane and where is each?
found?
Lining – ventral of tongue, col, sulcus, alveolar mucosa (cheeks and lip lining) soft palate.
Masticatory – gingival and hard palate
Specialized – dorsum of tongue
What are the three types of surfaces of stratified squamous epithelium that are likely in the oral cavity?
Nonkeratinized Parakeratinized Keratinized (Ortho)
What determines the mobility of the epithelium?
*ridges of connective tissue and epithelium. More depth of ridges – less mobility and more likely attached to bone. Also mobility will differ with presence of submucosa or not and attachment to bone.
List six areas of the oral cavity proper that are covered with lining mucosa?
Cheeks, lips, sulcus, soft palate, col, alveolar mucosa, ventral of tongue, floor of the mouth (FOM)
What causes the red coloration in mucosa?
O2 carrying pigment in the blood – blood vessels are visible through epithelium as they are present in underlying connective tissue.
When the tissue becomes very red, what has happened?
Why can the epithelium sometimes appear whitish?
Why can the epithelium sometimes appear whitish?
Thicker epithelium = more keratin in surface cells with increased function. Blood vessels also do not show through as easily.
What are the areas of the oral cavity covered with masticatory mucosa?
Gingival and Hard Palate
What causes the stippling effect?
Interdigitations of Connective Tissue (CT) papillae with Epithelium rete ridges.
What tissue holds the blood vessels, nerves, small salivary glands and fatty tissue?
The submucosa which in part of the connective tissue. Called submucosa when these structures are present.
Identify the difference between stratified squamous epithelium, basement membrane, submucosa, periosteum using a diagram of your own.
- Stratified squamous epithelium – all oral mucosa in oral cavity
- basement membrane (basal layer of epithelium are the cells – line is the BM)
- connective tissue / submucosa if glands and fatty tissue present
- periosteum (outside layer of bone where connective tissue fibers are present and osteoblasts are also present – called periosteum)
- Rete peg or spinous cell layer – entire structure in the peg and layer of epithelial is the spinous layer.
