The Mouth

Question 1

what is the preferred term between buccal and oral cavity

Answer 1

oral

Question 2

is there differentiation between oral health and general health

Answer 2

no

Question 3

what is periodontitis

Answer 3

loss of attachment between the gingiva and the tooth

Question 4

what is gingivitis

Answer 4

inflamed gums

Question 5

what colour does calculus appear as

Answer 5

black - it is hardened dental plaque

Question 6

what is caries

Answer 6

dental decay and loss of hard dental tissue, can be reversed. i

Question 7

what can caries be caused by

Answer 7

lack of saliva due to radiation, xerostomia, blood pressure prescriptions

Question 8

explain the oral ecosystem

Answer 8

teeth, saliva, microflora, and mucosa. caries can have more specialised microflora that can produce the acid necessary for generating caries.
there is endogenic input, such as microorganisms changing the behaviour of the mouth which can affect the centre of the ecosystem. exogenic input comes from illness, oral disorders etc which generate an output of oral health.
there is also how people behave, which coincides with societal influences.

Question 9

how does society have an impact on the oral health of individuals

Answer 9

links to the aesthetic expectation, how people expect their mouths to look, and social economic factors like being able to afford healthier foods that are better for teeth
provide advice to the patient to help with lifestyle factors that can contribute to poor oral health

Question 10

how can the oral cavity be described as an environment

Answer 10

there is geography (attachment of the tooth), resources (nutrients for the tooth), which are supplied by saliva (climate). pH is also part of the climate of the oral environment. saliva includes many important components like liquid, water, and buffers

Question 11

what is the natural history of disease and its prevention

Answer 11

in the healthy phase there must be an equilibrium between the host tooth and the agent (tooth and microorganisms)
when it is irreversible we must enter the secondary intervention process, the clinical horizon, what we can act upon and try to prevent or do we try to restore. restoration depends on primary intervention.

Question 12

what are the different functions of the mouth

Answer 12

• digestive
• protective
• aesthetic
• speaking
• playing instruments

Question 13

what are the three bones found within the oral cavity

Answer 13

the mandible, the maxilla and the palatine bones

Question 14

what is involved in the maxilla bone

Answer 14

this forms the upper part of the jaw, and contains alveolar processes which is what the horseshoe shape arises from. within these alveolar processes are dental alveoli where the teeth rest in

Question 15

what is involved in the mandible

Answer 15

this is the lower part of the jaw and also contains this alveolar process

Question 16

where are palatine bones found within the mouth

Answer 16

on the roof, fusing together to form the midline of the maxilla

Question 17

what can the oral cavity be divided into

Answer 17

the oral vestibule and the oral cavity proper

Question 18

what is the oral cavity proper

Answer 18

the space contained between the upper and lower dental arches. stretches from the inner surface of the teeth and communicates with the oropharynx

Question 19

what is the oral vestibule

Answer 19

this is the space between the teeth and the inner mucosal lining of the lips and cheeks. this continues onto the gingiva to form the superior and inferior boundaries of the vestibule

Question 20

what is the retromolar fossa

Answer 20

the space between the third molar teeth and the ramus of the mandible

Question 21

what can the roof of the mouth be divided into

Answer 21

the soft and hard palate

Question 22

give an overview of the hard palate

Answer 22

this is the bony, dome shaped structure that makes up the anterior of the roof of the mouth. the upper surface of the hard palate forms the floor of the nasal cavity and is lined by the respiratory mucosa.
the lower surface of the hard palate that can be viewed from the mouth is lined by the palatal gingiva

Question 23

give an overview of the soft palate

Answer 23

this makes up the posterior section of the roof of the mouth and separates the oropharynx from the nasopharynx. it is boneless and moveable, and is made up of fibrous aponeurosis, muscles, and non keratinised mucosa. it is also covered by the oral mucosa inferiorally and the respiratory mucosa superiorally

Question 24

what is the mylohyoid muscle

Answer 24

this forms the muscular diaphragm that supports the tongue and other structures of the floor of the mouth

Question 25

what is the function of the palate

Answer 25

to separate the oral cavity from the nasal cavity