Oral Cavity & Tongue – Lecture Review

Flashcards cover anatomy, innervation, blood supply, and function of the oral cavity, palate, tongue, and salivary glands, aligned with lecture content.

What two regions make up the oral cavity?

The oral vestibule (between lips/cheeks and teeth-gums) and the oral cavity proper (internal to the teeth-gums).

Which muscle reinforces the cheek (buccae)?

The buccinator muscle.

Why are buccal fat pads especially prominent in infants?

They help compress the cheeks during nursing.

What is the oral fissure?

The space between the lips when the mouth is open.

What tissue firmly anchors the gingiva to alveolar processes?

The periodontium lining the tooth sockets.

Name the four basic tooth types and their primary functions.

Incisors (cut), canines/cuspids (tear/pierce), premolars (crush), molars (grind).

Why are third molars (wisdom teeth) frequently removed?

Limited jaw space often leads to impaction and complications.

Which bones form the bony hard palate?

The maxillae and palatine bones.

Which foramen is just posterior to the central incisors and what passes through it?

The incisive fossa/foramen; it transmits nasopalatine nerves and vessels.

Greater palatine foramen location and contents?

Medial to the third molar; conveys the greater palatine nerve and artery.

What structure hangs from the posterior free margin of the soft palate?

The uvula.

Primary role of the soft palate during swallowing?

Tenses and elevates to seal the nasopharynx, directing the bolus toward the oropharynx.

Which muscle elevates the soft palate and what nerve innervates it?

Levator veli palatini; vagus nerve (CN X).

Which muscle tenses the soft palate and what is its unique innervation?

Tensor veli palatini; mandibular division of trigeminal nerve (CN V_{3}).

How does the pterygoid hamulus affect the tensor veli palatini?

Acts as a pulley, redirecting its pull laterally to tense the palate bilaterally.

Palatoglossus muscle action(s)

Either depresses the soft palate or elevates the tongue, forming the palatoglossal arch.

Palatopharyngeus muscle action(s)

Depresses the soft palate or elevates the pharynx, forming the palatopharyngeal arch.

Where is the palatine tonsil located?

In the recess between palatoglossal and palatopharyngeal folds (tonsillar fossa).

A 6-year-old child undergoes a tonsillectomy and experiences profuse bleeding shortly after. Which artery is the most likely source of this complication in the tonsillar fossa?

The tonsillar branch of the facial artery.

Which arteries supply the hard and soft palate?

Greater and lesser palatine arteries (branches of maxillary artery).

Dental nerve block for anterior palate targets which nerve at which foramen?

Nasopalatine nerve at the incisive fossa.

A dentist administers a nerve block to anesthetize the posterior hard palate. After the procedure, the patient reports temporary difficulty with their soft palate movement and some issues with swallowing. Which nerve was likely affected, and why?

The greater palatine nerve, which can lead to temporary anesthesia of palatal muscles and affect soft-palate control, impacting swallowing.

Name the two main parts of the tongue.

Root (posterior, fixed) and body (anterior, mobile).

What landmark separates anterior 2/3 from posterior 1/3 of the tongue?

The V-shaped terminal sulcus.

Embryological remnant found at apex of terminal sulcus?

Foramen cecum (site of thyroglossal duct origin).

Most common cause of midline neck mass in children ( < 10 yrs)?

Thyroglossal duct cyst (patent remnant).

Which papillae are mushroom-shaped and scattered on the anterior tongue?

Fungiform papillae.

Which large, disc-shaped papillae form a row anterior to terminal sulcus?

Vallate (circumvallate) papillae.

Primary motor nerve to tongue muscles (except palatoglossus)?

Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII).

A patient presents with a lesion affecting the hypoglossal nerve on one side. When asked to protrude their tongue, in which direction will it deviate, and why?

The tongue will deviate (point) towards the affected side, due to the unopposed action of the genioglossus muscle on the healthy (unaffected) side pushing it.

Action of hyoglossus muscle

Depresses and retracts the tongue.

Action of styloglossus muscle

Retracts and elevates the tongue.

Which suprahyoid muscle forms the muscular floor of the mouth?

Mylohyoid.

Nerve supply to mylohyoid muscle

Nerve to mylohyoid (branch of CN V_{3}).

Geniohyoid innervation

C1 fibers via the hypoglossal nerve.

General sensation (touch, pain, temp) to anterior 2/3 of tongue is via which nerve?

Lingual nerve (branch of CN V_{3}).

A patient complains of a lack of taste on the anterior 2/3 of their tongue, but general sensation (touch, temperature) is intact in that same area. Which specific nerve is likely affected?

The chorda tympani nerve (a branch of the facial nerve, carried by the lingual nerve), as it carries taste fibers for the anterior tongue, separate from general sensation.

Both taste and general sensation to posterior 1/3 of tongue are provided by which nerve?

Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX).

Which nerve supplies taste to a small area near the epiglottis/base of tongue?

Internal laryngeal branch of vagus nerve (CN X).

Arterial supply to the tongue originates from which vessel?

Lingual artery (branch of external carotid).

Which salivary gland produces \sim 70\% of resting saliva?

Submandibular gland.

Parotid gland contribution to saliva and its duct name?

\sim 20\% of saliva; secretes via the parotid (Stensen’s) duct.

A patient is having trouble producing enough watery saliva. Which major salivary gland is most likely functioning improperly?

The parotid gland, as it produces the most serous (watery) saliva among the major glands.

Where do the submandibular and major sublingual ducts open?

At the sublingual caruncles on either side of the lingual frenulum.