SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES

LEOPARDS HILL CAMPUS

LECTURE NOTES IN GROSS ANATOMY

THE ORAL CAVITY

By

Prof Kasonde Bowa

MSc,M.Med,FRCS,FCS,FACS,DPH,MPH,FCMS(Z)

Programme: MBChB
Course: Human Anatomy
Code: BMHA 121
Module: Module 1 Oral Cavity
Topic: The Gross Anatomy of the Oral Cavity

Introduction:

The Oral Cavity is the first part of the GIT. These lecture notes provide the teaching
material for this section, which supports the audio power point materials which you
will have listened to already.

The Oral Cavity begins from the lips to the Oral Pharynx. It has 3 parts, which are
1.The Vestibule
2.The Oral cavity proper
3.The Oral Pharynx

This module discusses the Gross Anatomy of the Oral Cavity and its four main
organs. Upon completion of this first section module one, you will proceed to the
second section of module 2 which is the Histology of the Oral cavity

Learning Objectives:

These materials contain the lecture note of the Module 1 course in Gross Anatomy.
They are accompanied by a power point audio lecture. These materials will
supplement your learning of the audio power point lecture.

Material Outlines:

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These lecture notes provided some summary notes on the Gross Anatomy of the
four organs which will have been discussed in the power point audio lecture on
Gross Anatomy.
These are
1.The Tongue
2.The Teeth
3.The Tonsils
4.The Salivary Glands

Lecture Notes

The Tongue
This is a muscular organ, which acts as an accessory organ of digestion.Its important in
forming the food bolus and for taste.The tongue has an anterior 2/3 and a posterior 1/3
seperated by a V shape margin of the Vallate papilla.This line is called the Sulcus
Terminalis, and its central point is called the foramen caecum.

The tongue has Instrinic and Extrinsic Muscles.The blood supply is the Lingual artery.The
nerve supply is, the motor nerve, the Hypoglossal nerve.Cranial nerve number 12.The
general sensory nerve supply is form the Glossopharyngeal nerve posterior 1/3.The general
sensation from the anterior 2/3 was from Lingual nerve and the Chorda Tympani provides
special sensation.

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Tonsils

These are lymphoid aggregations in the oral mucosa which forms part of a ring of lymphatic
tissues that cleans food entering the oral cavity.This ring is called the Waldeyers Ring.This is
a vertical and horizontal ring that outlines the lymphatic mucosal tissues that protect the oral
and nasal cavity outlet.The Tonsils lies between the two anterior and posterior folds
described earlier.It recieves its blood supply from the Tonsilar artery a branch of the Facial
artery

The Teeth
The teeth are hard bony units, whoes function is the mechanical digestion of food by
the process of mastication.This allows the food to be spread well in order for
chemical digestion to begin to work.the teeth have a crown the exposed part, the
root an unexposed part and the junction point called the neck.The teeth fit into the
aveolar processes in the maxilla and mandible.They create a fibrous joint called a
Gomphosis.
Teeth are arranged and shaped differently in order to achieve 3 functions, of cutting,
tearing and grindings.This allows big pieces of food the be broken into smaller
pieces, and be spread for chemical digestion.They oral cavity has 3 sets of teeth
principally.These are the anterior group(the caninies- cutting).These have a sharp
edges or cusps.These are prominent in animals like lions.This animals are meat
eating or carnivorus or canine animals in which these teeth are prominent.The
middle group the incisors these have cutting egde for tearing tough food.These are
the teeth typically exaggerated in movies like Dracula.The posterior group have flat
cusps from grinding these are well developed in cows and herbivorous animals,
these teeth are the premolars(in front) and the bigger molars(behind).

In childhood only 20 teeth are present called the deciduous or milk teeth.These teeth
fall off in adulthood giving rise to the 32 permanent teeth.The anterior teeth tend to
erupt first while the posterior teteh or
wisdom teeth erupt last.

The Dentist use a convention to name the

teeth.They divided the 4 quadrants of the
jaw.The right left upper quadrant is number 1
and the upper left number 2.The lower jaw left
is 3 and the lower right is 4.the teeth are
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number from the front with central incisors as 1 gooing back to the last molar as 8.This way
a number while show which teeth is being described.This is illustrated in the diagram below.

The eruption of deciduous teeth and permanent teeth is shown below

The first teeth to erupt at 6 months is the lower central incisors.A general rule for teeth
eruption which may the time of eruption to remember are 6,12 and 18. Anterior teeth 6mn,
the middle teeth 12mns and the posterior teeth 18.
The Permanent teeth similarly 6yrs, 12yrs and 24years.

The Salivary Glands

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These glands keep the mouth moist, maintain the ph alkaline and commence
chemical digestion of food.They produce up to 1.5 litres per day.Most of the fluid is
water 99%.It contains Salivary Amlyase and lysozymes.Anatomical they are 3 major
glands.Histological they are 3 subtypes-the serous(productive light digestive juices),
mucinous (produce a thick mucosal protective material) and the mixed
gland(produce both). The are 3 main salivary galnds

1.The Parotids gland(Its duct is Stensons duct)

2.The Submandibular gland(Its duct is Whartons Duct)
3.The Sublingual glands

The Parotid Glands

This is the largest of the 3 salivary glands.It is U shaped in transverse section
embracing the mandible with a deepr and superficial lobe.It is located between the
ramus of the mandible and the ear.It has a Superficial and deep part separated by
branches from the Facial nerve.It partially overlies the Masseter Muscle, the main
muscle of the Jaw.It produces 25-30% of the Saliva.It has a duct called Stensons
duct which opens opposed the 2nd upper Molar tooth in the vestibule of the
mouth.Blood supply is from the Maxillary Artery and the Superficial temporal
artery.The venous drains is through the Retromandibular vein.It receives its
innervation through autonomic nerves through Glossopharyngeal nerve and sensory
innervation through the Auriculotemporal nerve a branch of the Mandibular nerve.
Lymphatic drainage is through the Parotid nodes and the preauricular nodes.

The Submandibular gland

It is the second largest of the glands.It produces most of the saliva (60-70%).It is a
mixed gland.Its also u shaped with part of the gland superficial to the body of the
mandible and the other deep to it.Remember that the Parotid has a similar
relationship to the ramus of the mandible.It has a duct as well called the Whartons
duct which opens the floor of the mouth, lateral to the lingual frenulum of the
tongue.Occassionally some saliva may jet out from this point during speech.It has it
blood supply from the Lingul and facial artery.It has autonomic innervation.The
lymphatic drainage is to the submandibular nodes.

Sublingual Gland

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This is in the mouth, below the tongue.It has mulstipl ducts, called the ducts of
Rivus.It produces only 3-5% of the saliva and is mostly mucus.It is the most prone to
salivary stones or calculi due to the thick secretions.Its blood supply is from the
lingual and sublingual arteries.It has autonomic innervation from the Chorda
Tympani nerve and lymphatic drainage through the submandibular nodes.