The Oral Cavity

Question 1

What are the boundaries of the oral cavity?

Answer 1

Roof= hard and soft palate
Floor= tongue and soft tissues
Lat= cheeks
Ant= oral fissure (mouth)
Post= oropharyngeal isthmus

Question 2

What is the oral vestibule and the oral cavity proper?

Answer 2

Vestibule= between teeth and cheeks

Cavity proper= teeth to ring made by uvula, tip of epiglottis and palatopharygeal arch (inside teeth)

Question 3

What are the ant and post arches called? Formed by which muscles? What do the muscles do?

Answer 3

Palatoglossal (formed by palatoglossal)
Palatopharyngeal (formed by palatopharyngeus)
Tense and elevate soft palate during swallowing and yawning

Question 4

Which nerve innervates muscles of the soft palate and the uvula? If palsy, which way does uvula deviate? Why?

Answer 4

Vagus (pharyngeal branch)

AWAY from lesion- stronger side unopposed

Question 5

What does the gag reflex prevent? What are the afferent and efferent limbs?

Answer 5

Prevents choking
Afferent= glossopharyngeal
Efferent= vagus

Question 6

List the order of teeth

Answer 6

Central incisors, canines, 1st premolars, 2nd premolars, 1st molar, 2nd molar, 3rd molar

Question 7

What nerve supplies the lower jaw? When can yo loose sensation? When is it useful?

Answer 7

Inf alveolar, during mandibular fracture, anaesthesia during dental surgery

Question 8

Name the 4 extrinsic muscles of the tongue. What do they allow the tongue to do?

Answer 8

Styloglossus 
Hyloglossus
Genioglossus
Palatoglossus 
Change tongue positions

Question 9

What are the layers of the intrinsic tongue muscles? (Sup to deep). What do they help the tongue to?

Answer 9

Sup longitudinal, vertical, transverse, inf longitudinal.

Change tongue shape

Question 10

What is the first surface of the tongue called and the second?

Answer 10

Fungiform papillae, valate papilla

Question 11

What is the medical term for altered speech?

Answer 11

Dysarthria

Question 12

Which nerve supplies the tongue? Which way will tongue go if lesion/

Answer 12

Hypoglossal- towards affected side- (think tractor wheels).

Unaffected side overpowers weaker side

Question 13

Through which ducts do the parotid and submandibular glands enter the oral cavity? What about sublingual?

Answer 13

Parotid- Stenson’s duct
Submandibular- Wharton’s
Sublingual opens via multiple ducts

Question 14

What are salivary gland stones made of? Which ducts do they most commonly block, why? How do they present? How treat?

Answer 14

Usually Ca2+ from crystallised saliva, mostly submandibular (produces more saliva than parotid, sublingual rare).
Pain/ swelling at meal times. Some resolve spontaneously, commonly need to be removed

Question 15

What is tonsillitis? How do pts present? What do they look like? Causes?

Answer 15

Inflammation of palatine tonsils. Present with sore throat, odonophagia/dysphagia.
Enlarged and red (erythematous).
Bacterial- beta haemolytic strep (URTI)
Viral- rhino/adenovirus

Question 16

If bacterial tonsillitis, what is seen on tonsils? What else might the pt present with?

Answer 16

Pus.

Cervical lymphadenopathy, fever

Question 17

What is a severe complication of tonsillitis? Which type of tonsillitis? How may they present? What will not be visible? How do you treat/

Answer 17

Peritonsillar abscess- Quincy.
Bacterial tonsillitis- strep pyrogens usually.
Systemically unwell, uvula deviation (usually unilateral abscess), drooling, trismus (not wanting to move jaw)- hot potato voice.
Ant arch lost
Immediate ENT referral