Preclinics of Dental Prosthetics · MU Sofia

2. Oral cavity. Lips, cheeks, palate, oral mucosa, salivary glands, tongue.

Covers the landmarks of the oral cavity that matter for prosthetics, starting with the borders and the split between vestibule and oral cavity proper. It then describes the three types of oral mucosa, the lips, vestibule landmarks such as frena and the parotid papilla, and the tongue and floor of the mouth. A table of palatal landmarks with their prosthetic relevance follows, ending with the salivary glands and their share of saliva.

Inside: 8 sections · 2 labelled pictures · 3 tables · 13 flashcards · 5 min

Topic 2 of 75 in the MU Sofia syllabus for Preclinics of Dental Prosthetics (Dental Medicine, Year 2). The free AceMed note covers it in 8 sections, about 482 words (5 min of reading), with 13 flashcards.

In this note

  1. Introduction
  2. Borders and divisions
  3. The lining
  4. Lips
  5. Vestibule landmarks
  6. Tongue and floor of the mouth
  7. Palate
  8. Salivary glands

Introduction

Every denture edge, every crown margin and every impression meets the soft tissues of the mouth. Knowing their landmarks tells you where a prosthesis may rest, where it must stay clear and where it can be dislodged.

Borders and divisions

The dental arches and alveolar processes split the cavity in two:

  • Oral vestibule: the space between the arches and the lips and cheeks. Its depth (lower jaw) or height (upper jaw) is the vestibular fornix.
  • Oral cavity proper: everything inside the arches.

The lining

The oral mucosa has two layers: stratified squamous epithelium on the surface and connective tissue underneath. How thick and how keratinized it is depends on the job it does.

Lips

  • Upper and lower lips meet at the left and right commissures.
  • The nasolabial groove runs from each nostril to the corner of the mouth; the labiomental groove runs across, between lower lip and chin.
  • The vermilion border is the red zone of the lip; its junction with facial skin is the mucocutaneous margin.
  • The tubercle is the small bulge in the middle of the upper lip; the groove from it up to the nose is the philtrum.

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