Oral Cavity, Tongue, Oral Mucosa

Question 1

What forms the anterior border of the mouth?

Answer 1

The lips

Question 2

2. What makes up the oral cavity proper?

Answer 2

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.

Question 3

What are the red free margins of the lips called and what type of epithelium is found here?

Answer 3

Vermilion borders. Usually parakeratinized – dry epithelium. The lips do not have glands.

Question 4

4. Describe the area of the labial vestibule?

Answer 4

From the vermilion border of the lips to the anterior teeth, includes the space and the alveolar mucosa labially.

Question 5

5. What is the area called where the mucosa of the lips or cheeks becomes the attached gingiva?

Answer 5

Mucogingival junction / or line

Question 6

What is a frenum?

Answer 6

Fold of tissue – connecting alveolar mucosa to labial or buccal mucosa or sometimes to the mucogingival area OR to attached gingiva

Question 7

Name the frenum in the oral cavity and identify their locations.

Answer 7

Maxillary: labial / and buccal (bilateral)

Mandibular: labial / and lingual (ventral of tongue) and often buccal (bilateral)

Question 8

What is a diastema and what may be the cause of a diastema?

Answer 8

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)

Question 9

What is tori and where may they be located?

Answer 9

They are bony protuberance or growths. Located midline of the hard palate & / or lingual of the mandibular alveolar ridge opposite the premolars (most likely).

Question 10

What significance are tori?

Answer 10

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

Question 11

1. Where is the anterior pillar or palatoglossal fold located?

Answer 11

In front of the palatine tonsil – fold of tissue with underlying muscle from soft palate to the base of the tongue.

Question 12

What is the uvula?

Answer 12

Midline soft tissue structure / muscle underlying that hangs vertical from the soft palate; one of the muscles of the soft palate.

Question 13

Where is the retromolar pad?

Answer 13

Posterior to the last molar in the mandibular arch / bilateral

Question 14

What is ANKYLOGLOSSIA or tongue-tie caused from?

Answer 14

Tight / short lingual frenum. Often congenital. Problems with eating, speech, collapse of arch etc.

Question 15

Where are the sublingual caruncles located and what are they the opening of?

Answer 15

Floor of the mouth at the base of the lingual frenum (bilateral)
Wharton’s duct: sublingual and submandibular salivary glands.

Question 16

What is the tongue?

Answer 16

Epithelial lined sac filled with muscles, blood vessels (bv’s), adipose tissue and other connective tissue (CT).

Question 17

What type of epithelium is present on the dorsal (dorsum) surface of the tongue?

Answer 17

Specialized – Stratified squamous epithelium (SSE)

Question 18

Name the papillae of the tongue, where they are located and their functions

Answer 18

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

Question 19

What is the purpose of the lingual tonsils?

Answer 19

Lymphoid tissue posterior 1/3 of dorsal and some on lateral borders (post). Defense mechanism / filters bacteria in localized region.

Question 20

What are the three types / categories of oral mucous membrane and where is each?

Answer 20

found?
Lining – ventral of tongue, col, sulcus, alveolar mucosa (cheeks and lip lining) soft palate.
Masticatory – gingival and hard palate
Specialized – dorsum of tongue

Question 21

What are the three types of surfaces of stratified squamous epithelium that are likely in the oral cavity?

Answer 21

Nonkeratinized Parakeratinized Keratinized (Ortho)

Question 22

What determines the mobility of the epithelium?

Answer 22

*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.

Question 23

List six areas of the oral cavity proper that are covered with lining mucosa?

Answer 23

Cheeks, 
lips, 
sulcus, 
soft palate, col, 
alveolar mucosa, 
ventral of tongue, 
floor of the mouth (FOM)

Question 24

What causes the red coloration in mucosa?

Answer 24

O2 carrying pigment in the blood – blood vessels are visible through epithelium as they are present in underlying connective tissue.

Question 25

When the tissue becomes very red, what has happened?

Answer 25

Why can the epithelium sometimes appear whitish?

Question 26

Why can the epithelium sometimes appear whitish?

Answer 26

Thicker epithelium = more keratin in surface cells with increased function. Blood vessels also do not show through as easily.

Question 27

What are the areas of the oral cavity covered with masticatory mucosa?

Answer 27

Gingival and Hard Palate

Question 28

What causes the stippling effect?

Answer 28

Interdigitations of Connective Tissue (CT) papillae with Epithelium rete ridges.

Question 29

What tissue holds the blood vessels, nerves, small salivary glands and fatty tissue?

Answer 29

The submucosa which in part of the connective tissue. Called submucosa when these structures are present.

Question 30

Identify the difference between stratified squamous epithelium, basement membrane, submucosa, periosteum using a diagram of your own.

Answer 30

1. Stratified squamous epithelium – all oral mucosa in oral cavity
2. basement membrane (basal layer of epithelium are the cells – line is the BM)
3. connective tissue / submucosa if glands and fatty tissue present
4. periosteum (outside layer of bone where connective tissue fibers are present and osteoblasts are also present – called periosteum)
5. Rete peg or spinous cell layer – entire structure in the peg and layer of epithelial is the spinous layer.