Lingua

The Tongue

Nothing in this world can be so

sweet and bitter at the same
time as the TONGUE
!
Close to fifty percent of the bacteria in the
mouth lives on the surface of our tongue.

There are approximately 9,000 taste buds

on the tongue.

85% of the population can curl their tongue into

a tube.

Morfo-function of the

The tongue is a muscle on the floor of the

mouth that manipulates food for chewing
and swallowing (deglutition). It is the
primary organ of taste, as much of the
upper surface of the tongue is covered in
papillae and taste buds. A secondary
function of the tongue is speech, in which
the organ assists. It is sensitive and kept
moist by saliva, and is richly supplied with
nerves and blood vessels to help it move.

Pharynge
al part

Oral
part

Muscles of the Tongue

Intrinsic

- Longitudinal
- Vertical
- Transversal

Extrinsic

- Hyoglossus
- Genyoglossus
- Styloglossus
- Palatoglossus

General motoric enervation Hypogloss nerve

Styloglossus

Hyoglossus

Genyoglossus

Extrinsic
Muscles of
the Tongue

Intrinsic Muscles of the

Tongue

Enervation of the Tongue

General somatic
- Lingual nerve, a
major branch of
the mandibular
nerve (itself a
branch of the
trigeminal nerve).

- Glossopharyngeal
nerve.

Senzorial
Glossopharyn
geal nerve.
- Inermediar Motoric
nerve
(intermedio- Hypogloss nerve
facial)

Vascularization of the tongue

External Carotid Artery

Lingual Artery

Ascending Faryngeal Artery

Tonsilar branches from facial artery

Functions of the Tongue

Actually it is a part of the Stomatognat
system. Tongue is one of it's crossroads
as it includes all the functions possible in
the system:

Taste senzation,

Fonetics,

Masticaion,

Deglutition,

Immunity and protection,

etc.

But what can happen if this

mirracle from our mouth
can become sick and
helpless ?

Leukoplakia

Leukoplakia is adherent white

plaques or patches on the mucous
membranes of the oral cavity,
including the tongue. The clinical
appearance is highly variable.
Leukoplakia is not a specific
disease entity, but is diagnosis of
exclusion. It must be distinguished
from diseases that may cause
similar white lesions, such as
candidiasis or lichen planus.

Leukoplakic lesions are found in

approximately 3% of the world's
population.
Etiology:

use of tobacco
HPV and bacerial nature: Candida
albicans.
low in Vit A,B-12,C & folic acid
This is a premalignant disease
except HIV cases (named Hairy
Leukoplakia)

Treating methods:

Avoiding of the irritants: tobbacco,

alcohol, bacterial treating
B-Caroten usage
Biopsy and further onchological
cure

Strawberry color of the

Tongue

Strawberry tongue is
the appearance of
tongue with inflamed
red papillae, giving an
appearance of
strawberry.

It causes the tongue to swell and change color.

Papillae may be lost, causing the tongue to
appear smooth.Almost all people has it for 5-6
times per year.
Etiology:

Bacterial or viral infections

(including oral herpes simplex).
Mechanical irritation or injury from
burns, rough edges of teeth or
dental appliances, or other trauma

Treating methods:

Exposure to irritants such as

tobacco, alcohol, hot foods, or
spices.

Administration of ganglion blockers

(eg. Tubocurarine,
Mecamylamine).

The goal of treatment is to reduce

inflammation
Good oral hygiene is necessary,
including thorough tooth brushing
at least twice a day, and flossing at
least daily.
Corticosteroids such as prednisone
may be given to reduce the
inflammation of glossitis
Avoid irritants (such as hot or spicy
foods, alcohol, and tobacco) to
minimize the discomfort.

Fissured Tongue

Fissured tongue
(also known as "scrotal
tongue," "lingua plicata,"
"Plicated tongue," and
"furrowed tongue") is a
benign condition
characterized by deep
grooves (fissures) in the

Fissured tongue is seen in Melkersson-Rosenthal

syndrome, in most patients with Down syndrome,
and in association with geographic tongue.
Etiology:

Melkersson-RosenthalSchuermann syndrome
A polygenic mode of inheritance is
suspected because the condition is
seen clustering in families who are
affected.
benign migratory glossitis
(geographic tongue)

Treating methods:

Is a totally benign condition and is

considered by most to be a variant
of normal tongue architecture.
When seen in association with
Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome,
the morbidity is due not to the
fissured tongue but is secondary to
the granulomatous inflammation of
the lips/facial soft tissues and facial
paralysis.

Glossodynia

^ Typically, there
are no visual
signs like
discoloration that
help the
diagnosis.

Glossodynia or burning mouth

syndrome (BMS) (also known as
"Burning tongue") is a condition
characterized by a burning or
tingling sensation on the lips,
tongue, or entire mouth.

This condition appears more often in women,

specifically women after menopause, than men.
Pain typically is low or nonexistent in the morning
and builds up over the course of the day.
Etiology:

Possible causes include nutritional

deficiencies

Chronic anxiety or depression

Type 2 diabetes

Menopause

Oral disorders such as thrush or

dry mouth

Treating methods:

Low dosages of benzodiazepines

Tricyclic antidepressants or
anticonvulsants

Geographic tongue

Geographic tongue is also known

as
"Benign migratory glossitis,"
"Benign migratory stomatitis,"
"Glossitis areata exfoliativa,"
"Glossitis areata migrans,"
"Lingua geographica,"
"Stomatitis areata migrans," and
"Transitory benign plaques of the

Irregular areas of dekeratinized and desquamated filiform

papillae (red in color) are surrounded by elevated whitish or
yellow margins due to acantholysis and hyperkeratosis.
Neutrophils migrate into the epithelial layer, creating what are
termed Munro's abscesses.

Etiology:

Is associated with several different

genes
Geographic tongue is more commonly
found in people who are affected by
environmental sensitivity, such as
allergies, eczema, and asthma.
Some think that it may be linked to
stress or diets high in sugar or
processed foods.
Geographic tongue is said to occur
more often in women, especially
during high hormonal times such as
during ovulation or pregnancy, and
while taking birth control.

Treating methods:

Avoiding foods that exacerbate the

problem.
Some individuals report relief from
chewing mint leaves or sucking on a
mint candy or gum during a flare up.
Taking Vitamin B supplements
causes the condition to go away
temporarily.
Some groups mention that using antiinflammatory steroids applied
topically clears the patches.

Black hairy tongue

Black hairy tongue refers to a

number of conditions of humans
and animals that cause the
tongue to become unusually
dark and/or hairy in appearance.

Black hairy tongue in humans is a harmless condition caused by a

fungus which grows on the top surface of the tongue. It is
associated with the elderly, as well as with antibiotic use. It is more
commonly seen in tobacco smokers. While black is the most
common color associated with the condition other colors are also
possible.

Etiology:

defective desquamation of the filiform

papillae that results from a variety of
precipitating factors.
Some of these factors include poor
oral hygiene, tooth loss (because a
soft diet does not allow for normal
desquamation from rough food
scraping the tongue), chronic or
extensive use of antibiotics, and
radiation treatments to the head and
neck.
Patients with hairy tongue often may
develop a secondary infection of
Candida albicans (thrush).

Treating methods:

Good oral hygiene and use of a

toothbrush or tongue scraper to aid
with the desquamation of the tongue.
Use of antifungal drugs may be
warranted if there is a suspicion of
candidal infection.
If antibiotic use led to the condition
then the condition may resolve
naturally after the antibiotic course is
completed.
Caused by a deficiency of niacin

Use in pharmacy
The sublingual region
underneath the front of the
tongue is a location where the
oral mucosa is very thin, and
underlain by a plexus of veins.
This is an ideal location for
introducing certain medications
to the body. The sublingual
route takes advantage of the
highly vascular quality of the
oral cavity, and allows for the
speedy application of
medication into the
cardiovascular system,
bypassing the gastrointestinal
tract. This is the only (apart
from I.V. administration)
convenient and efficacious route
of administration of
nitroglycerin to a patient
suffering angina pectoris, chest
pain. If the tablet is swallowed,
the medication is completely

Difussion
A barrier composed
from

...

1.Multilayer cornificate
epithellium,
2. Own mucosal layer,
3. Submucosal layer,
4.Pericapillar zone
with histological
structure of it.
Difussion of medications

Secondary uses

- Kissing known as "tongue kissing" or

sometimes "french kissing" in which the tongue
plays a primary role.

- The tongue is also one of the more common

parts of the human anatomy to be subject to
piercing and body modification, a phenomenon
that is sometimes associated with certain
subcultures or demographics

Kissing

A French kiss or snog is a kiss, usually

romantic or sexual in nature, in which
one participant's tongue touches the
other's tongue and usually enters his or

Tongue
piercing
A body piercing through the tongue,
usually directly through its center, is
one of most popular piercing sites in the
western world. Only the ear is more
popular.

Take care of your tongues as they are one of the best

friends.

The End

Thank You !