The Oral Environment 1 Flashcards
Give examples of oral fluids?
- Saliva (most important)
- Gingival crevicular fluid
- Oral bacteria
- Food debris
- Epithelial cells
What are the protective functions of oral fluids?
- Cleansing (removing things from the oral cavity)
- Mucosal protection
- Buffering
- Remineralisation
- Antimicrobial
What are the digestive functions of oral fluids?
- Taste
- Digestive enzymes
- Lubricates bolus for chewing, swallowing
What does reduced flor of saliva cause?
- Various oral health problems
What is Xerostomia?
Dry mouth
- A prominent symptom for patients with salivary gland disease
What is the most common cause of lack of saliva/Xerostomia?
The use of drugs/medication
What does reduced salivary flow increase the incidence of?
Dental caries
Are salivary glands exocrine or endocrine glands?
Exocrine glands
What is the compound, tubulo-acinar arrangement of salivary glands?
A gland having branching tubules each of which ends in a secretory acini. Acinotubular gland
What are anatomically distinct and identifiable glands?
- Major salivary glands
What are more diffuse collections of glandular tissue lying in the lamina propria?
- Minor salivary glands
What are the 3 major salivary glands?
- Parotid
- Submandibular
- Sublingual
What are the minor salivary glands?
- Buccal (in cheek)
- Labial (in lip)
- Lingual (in tongue)
- Palatal (in hard and soft palate)
What is an acinus?
- A secretory unit
- Acinus cells produce saliva - these are taken to intercalated duct which is then taken to striated duct - this modifies the saliva and then the saliva is collected into the collecting ducts
What are the 3 types of ducts in a salivary gland?
- Intercalated
- Striated
- Collecting
What is a serous acinus?
Secretes watery secretions
What is a mucous acinus?
Thicker secretion
What is a mixed acinus?
A little bit of both secretions (watery and thicker(mucous))
What type of secretions does the parotid glands secrete?
Serous
What type of secretions does the submandibular gland secrete?
Mixed
What type of secretions does the sublingual gland secrete?
Mucous
What type of secretions does the buccal gland secrete?
Mucous
What type of secretions does the labial gland produce?
Mucous
What type of secretions does the lingual gland produce?
Serous & mucous
What type of secretions does the palatal gland produce?
Mucous
What is gingival crevicular fluid?
- Fluid from epithelium lining the gingival crevice (sulcus)
How much gingival crevicular fluid is present in healthy gingiva?
- Little GCF from healthy gingivae, but flow increases with inflammation
What is the function of gingival crevicular fluid?
No ‘function’ as such, but is probably an inflammatory exudate
When is salivary flow at its greatest?
When awake and eating
When is salivary flow rate at its lowest?
When sleeping
What is a persons average daily salivary flow?
Between 500ml and 700ml
Which salivary gland is most active when sleeping?
Submandibular
Which salivary gland is most active when person is awake but at rest?
submandibular
Which salivary gland is most active when person is awake and eating?
Parotid
Which salivary gland is least active when sleeping?
Parotid
Which salivary gland is least active when person is awake but at rest?
Sublingual and minor glands
Which salivary gland is least active when person is awake and eating?
Sublingual
What are the factors affecting unstimulated salivary flow rate?
- State of hydration
- Previous stimulation
- Circadian rhythms
- Circannual rhythms
- Medications
- Salivary gland diseases
What are circadian rhythms
- Physical, mental and behavioural changes that follow a daily cycle
What are circannual rhythms?
- Any biological rhythms involving a biological or physiological process that occurs or fluctuates at intervals of approximately one year
What percentage of saliva is water?
99.5%
What percentage of saliva is ions?
0.2%
What percentage of saliva is proteins, carbohydrate or lipids?
0.3%
What are the functions of saliva on food?
- Taste
- Bolus formation
- Digestion
What are the functions if saliva on teeth?
- Buffer
- Decreasing demineralisation
- Remineralisation
- Lubrication
What are the functions of saliva on micro-organisms?
- Antibacterial
- Antifungal
- Antiviral
What are the functions of fluoride in saliva?
- Antibacterial
- Forms fluorapatite
- Promotes remineralisation
What is the function of calcium and phosphate in saliva?
Remineralisation
What is the function of thiocyanide in saliva?
- Antibacterial
What is the function of bicarbonate and phosphates in saliva?
Buffering
Which salivary buffer is effective at high flow rates?
Bicarbonate
Which salivary buffer is important at rest?
Phosphates
Which salivary buffer has a limited effect as main buffering action occurs at pH below 5?
Proteins
Which salivary buffer has some role in buffering plaque acid?
Bacterial NH3
