INTRODUCTION IN THE ORAL CAVITY FUNCTIONS OF THE TEETH

1. swallowing
1. Oral Vestibule 2. aesthetic
– space found between the lips and the 3. speech
teeth 4. protection
– facially (mucosa) 5. prehensile/grasping
– labially (mucosa of lips)
– buccally (mucosa of the cheeks)
– orally (alveolar mucosa gingiva/facial
surfaces of teeth)
– Boundaries:
– anteriorly by the lips
– facio-laterally by the cheeks
– posteriorly by the anterior teeth
(facial surface)
2. Oral Cavity Proper
– behind the anterior teeth
– Boundaries:
– Facially and laterally by the lingual TONGUE
surfaces of the teeth
– Cranially by the hard and soft palate 1. Dorsum Part
– Posteriorly by the fauces and tonsil - tip and body
– Caudally by the tongue and floor of - anterior 2/3
the mouth - oral cavity proper
- lined by specialized non keratinized
Stomatology means mouth/oral mucosa mucosa
2. Ventral Part
- base
- posterior 1/3
- pharynx
- lined by lining mucosa

TERMINAL SULCUS – divides the anterior 2/3 to

the posterior 1/3
*Tongue is very muscular organ and it is the
strongest muscle. Muscles of tongue can affect the
alignment of teeth and could cause malocclusion.

TYPES OF EPITHELIAL STRUCTURES

1. Filiform Papilla
- most numerous, slender, thread like,
keratinized extension of the surface
epithelial cells
 - cover the entire anterior part of the tongue - soft palate
- gives the tongue a velvety appearance - epiglottis
- provides tactile sensation - larynx
- involved in breaking down of food in the - pharynx
circumvallate TYPES:
2. Fungiform Papilla 1. Type 1 (Taste/Dark Cells)
- mushroom shape/smooth round 2. Type II (Supporting/Light Sustentacular
- found at the center and at the tip of the tongue Cells)
- smooth and red in color 3. Type III (Intermediate Cells)
- at the tip of tongue is sweet and at the lateral is 4. Type IV (Basal Cells)
salty
- taste buds are present 1. Type 1 – Taste/Dark Cells
- found in the epithelium of tongue - usually 10 to 24 in each taste bud
3. Foliate Papilla - their nuclei are rich in
- located at the posterior edge of the body of the heterochromatin
tongue - -function: synthesis and secretion
- perceive sour sensation of pore substances
4. Circumvallate 2. Type II – Sustentacular Cells/Light Cells
- fewest in number - supporting cells
- 8 to 10 at the anterior enge of soleus terminalis - most less in number
- divides the anterior 2/3 and posterior 1/3 of the - low in heterochromatin
tongue - function is unknown
- largest papilla 3. Type III – Intermediate Cells
- Ebner’s gland - Least number
- usually under it are the minor salivary glands - Surrounded by type I cells
- Also appear dark
- Regarded as the actual receptor
cells of the taste buds
- - responsible for the taste
4. Type IV – Basal Cells
- perpendicular to the basal lamina
- believed to be the stem cell for the
other type of cells

NERVE SUPPLY OF THE TONGUE

- Gustatory Senstation -
 Taste buds of the anterior 2/3 of the
tongue
- chorda tympani branch of facial
nerve (7th)

TASTE BUDS  Posterior 1/3 of the tongue

- white things in the epithelium - glossopharyngeal nerve(9th)
- 30 to 100 cells  epiglottis and pharynx
- papillae of the tongue (mostly) - vagus nerve (10th)

- General Sensation –
 Anterior 2/3 of tongue
- Lingual branch of mandibular nerve
 Posterior 1/3 of the tongue
- glossopharyngeal nerve (9th)
FUNCTIONS OF ORAL AND
PARAORAL STRUCTURES
1. Ingestion
- engulfing and taking of food with
the help of the lips and teeth in
particular
2. Mastication
- the process of biting, cutting, crushing,
and grinding of food by the teeth with the
aid of the lips, cheeks, tongue and palate
3. Deglutition
- act of swallowing
- has 3 steps: (a) biting in centric
occlusion (b) pressing the tip of the
tongue to the lingual of the lower of
the anterior teeth and force the
mid-dorsum of the tongue to the
hard palate (c) with the forceful
contraction of mylohyoid muscle,
the dorsum of the anterior part of
the tongue pressing against the
hard palate and the base of the
tongue is thrown posteriorly
pushing the bolus food into the
esophagus
4. Taste
- presence of lingual papillae of
various form on the dorsum of the
tongue
- fungiform and vallate papillae, soft
palate
5. Digestion
- physical digestion of food
(mastication, lubrication)
- chemical digestion (ptyalin-
preliminary digestion of
carbohydrates)
6. Speech
- consonants pronouciation
- static (teeth and palate)
- dynamic (lips, cheek, tongue, soft
palate)
4 Types of Consonants
a. labial consonants
- B, N, P (bilabial)
- F, V (labiodental)
- Wh (labio-guttaral)
b. Dental consonants (teeth and
tongue)
- Th, P, T, S, Z, Sh
c. Palatal consonants (tongue and
palate)
- R, Y, L
d. Guttaral consonants (back of the
tongue)
-G
7. Respiration
TONSILS
- tonsilar ring
- ring of waldeyer (2 palatal tonsils,
lingual tonsils, pharyngeal/adenoid
tonsils)
- phagocytic activity of macrophages
against harmful bacteria and
foreign bodies
SALIVARY GLANDS
- major salivary glands (parotid,
sublingual, submandibular)
- minor salivary glands