Oral Anatomy Lesson 1

ORAL ANATOMY: LESSON 1 ORAL CAVITY – space bounded by the lips anteriorly, the oropharynx posteriorly, the cheeks laterally, the palate superiorly and the floor of the mouth inferiorly FUNCTIONS OF THE ORAL CAVITY: • MASTICATION • AIRWAY • SPEECH MUCUS MEMBRANE – or the ORAL MUCOSA is a pink soft tissue lining which protects your oral cavity TYPES OF ORAL MUCOSA: • MASTICATORY MUCOSA – found on areas subjected to stress like the gums and the hard palate • SPECIALIZED MUCOSA – found on areas with a specialized function on the face like the dorsal part of the tongue • LINING MUCOSA – found on the other areas of your oral cavity like the inner lining of the cheeks, lips and mouth DIVISIONS OF THE ORAL CAVITY: • ORAL VESTIBULE/ VESTIBULAR ORIS – a small anti-chamber space bounded by the lips anteriorly, the cheeks laterally and the facial surfaces of the teeth and the bone medially • ORAL CAVITY PROPER – space bounded by the lingual surfaces or the inner surfaces of the teeth and the throat

STRUCTURES OF THE ORAL VESTIBULE: FORNIX VESTIBULI – or VESTIBULAR FORNIX is s horse shoe-shaped furrow lined by mucus membrane which is the area of reflection between the roof of the lips or the cheeks and the alveolar bone ALVEOLAR BONE – houses the tooth ALVEOLAR MUCOSA – a darker red mucosa on the medial border of the oral vestibule containing more blood vessels and few salivary glands GINGIVA/GUMS – are coral pink in color, highly keratinized and adheres tightly to the bones found near the neck of the tooth MAXILLARY TUBEROSITY – a bony prominence found at the most distal end of the alveolar process RETROMOLAR PAPILLA – an overgrowth or extension of gingival found distal to the upper last molar RETROMOLAR PAD – soft tissue prominence which is an aggregation of the buccal glands FRENUM/FRENULUM – a sickleshaped fold of tissue attaching the lips or the cheeks to the alveolar bone • LABIAL FRENUM – a frenum from the inner of the lip to the alveolar bone near the central incisor (the upper labial frenum is stronger than the lower labial frenum) • BUCCAL FRENUM – a frenum that loosely attaches the cheeks to the alveolar bone (the lower

buccal frenum is stronger than the upper buccal frenum)

- Rosette Go 070208 