Floor Of Mouth And Palate

Question 1

What is the clinical appearance of the floor of the mouth?

Answer 1

Reddish pink
Vascular blue in vein areas
Shiny and moist
Compressible

Question 2

Which epithelium is the floor of the mouth?

Answer 2

Non keratinised stratified squamous epithelial tissue

Question 3

What is the structure of the floor of the mouth?

Answer 3

• extremely thin
• overlies very vascular lamina propria that can be seen through epithelium
• loose adipose connective tissue
• sublingual and submandibular salivary glands in submucosa layer
• loosely attached to underlying muscle to allow for some movement in tongue

Question 4

What is lamina propria?

Answer 4

Layer of gingival connective tissue that lies between epithelial layer and mucous membrane

Question 5

3 muscles that support the floor of the mouth

Answer 5

Mylohyoid
Hyoglossus
Geniohyoid

Question 6

Where does the mylohyoid muscle originate and insert?

Answer 6

Originates - inner surface of the mandible.
Inserts - anterior surface of the hyoid bone body.

Question 7

Action of the mylohyoid muscle?

Answer 7

Forms floor of oral cavity, elevates floor of mouth and hyoid bone.
Assists in depressing the mandible (opening)

Question 8

What nerves supply mylohyoid muscle?

Answer 8

Mylohyoid brand of trigeminal nerve

Question 9

What supples the blood to the mylohyoid muscle?

Answer 9

Inferior alveolar, sublingual and sub mental arteries

Question 10

Origin and insertion points for the hyoglossus muscle

Answer 10

Originates: superior border of the greater Cornu of hyoid bone.
Inserts: lateral borders of the tongue.

Question 11

Action of the hyoglossus muscle

Answer 11

Depressed and retracts the tongue
Pulls lateral edges of tongue down to floor of mouth

Question 12

Nerve and blood supply of the hyoglossus muscle

Answer 12

Hyoglossal nerve
Lingual artery

Question 13

Origin and insertion of the geniohyoid muscle

Answer 13

Originates: inferior genial tubercle (mental spine) on lingual surface of mandible, midline.
Inserts: body of hyoid bone

Question 14

Action of geniohyoid muscle

Answer 14

Elevates and positions the hyoid bone
Shortens floor of mouth
Widens pharynx for swallowing

Question 15

Nerve and blood supply of geniohyoid muscle

Answer 15

Hypoglassal nerve
Lingual artery (sublingual branch)

Question 16

What is the lingual frenum

Answer 16

Fold of tissue found in midline near base of tongue; inferior surface of tongue and connects tongue to floor of mouth.

Question 17

What is the sublingual papilla

Answer 17

Centrally positioned protrubence near the base of tongue.
Submandibular and sublingual saliva ducts open here.
2 sublingual folds laterally either side

Question 18

What are mandibular Tori

Answer 18

Bony swellings sublingual to premolar region.
Usually above hyoid line.

Question 19

Structure of ventral surface of tongue

Answer 19

Irregular fringe folds of mucous membrane lateral to lingual frenum.
Thin lining of non keratinised stratified squamous epithelium.

Question 20

What is the hard and soft palate?

Answer 20

Hard - anterior 2/3
Soft - posterior 1/3

Question 21

What does the hard palate separate?

Answer 21

Oral cavity from the nasal cavity

Question 22

2 bones of the hard palate

Answer 22

Palatine process of maxilla
Horizontal plate of palatine bone

Question 23

What does the hard palate aid with the function of?

Answer 23

Eating and speaking

Question 24

Clinical appearance of the hard palate

Answer 24

Pink in appearance.
Immobile and firm.
More cushioned feeling towards lateral portions.
Firmer feeling towards medial portion.

Question 25

What type of epithelium is the hard palate

Answer 25

Orthokeratinized stratified squamous epithelium

Question 26

How do the midline, lateral, anterior and posterior portions of the hard palate appear and what do they contain

Answer 26

Midline- firmer, lamina propria attaches directly to bone, no submucosa. Lateral- more cushioned, submucosa present. Anterior- cushioned, adipose tissue and submucosa present. Posterior- cushioned, contains minor hard palate salivary glands and submucosa

Question 27

Key features of hard palate

Answer 27

High vaulted palate Incisive papilla Palatine rugae Median palatine raphe

Question 28

What is palatine torus

Answer 28

Bony overgrowth of palate

Question 29

What is meant by the term vaulted palate

Answer 29

Dome shape of palate, varies from each individual, posterior border is concaved where it meets soft palate.

Question 30

What is the incisive papilla

Answer 30

Small oval shape bump behind upper central incisors, covers nasopalatine nerves

Question 31

What is the palatine rugae

Answer 31

A firm irregular tissue, radiates transversely from incisive papilla, some more pronounced than others.

Question 32

What is the median palatine raphe

Answer 32

Midline of hard palate and covers median palatine suture.

Question 33

What clinical changes to look for in the palate and floor of mouth?

Answer 33

Colour Texture Impact on function

Question 34

What is the soft palate

Answer 34

Continuous anterior border with the hard palate with a free posterior border. Moveable with no bony skeleton.

Question 35

Clinical appearance of soft palate

Answer 35

Deeper pink (can be slightly yellowish) Noise Compressible and elastic

Question 36

What type of epithelium is the soft palate

Answer 36

Nonkeratinized stratified squamous epithelium

Question 37

Histology of the soft palate

Answer 37

Very thin submucosa, attaches to muscle to aid swallowing, speech and mastication. Minor salivary glands. Elastic layer to aid mobility. Adipose tissue present - yellowish appearance.

Question 38

Key features of soft palate

Answer 38

Uvula Pillars of the fauces Tonsillar fossa Pterygomandibular fold

Question 39

What is the pterygomandibular fold

Answer 39

Border that separates cheek from throat. From junction of soft and hard palate and extends down to the distal surface of most posterior tooth. Landmark for inferior dental nerve block.

Question 40

What is the uvula

Answer 40

Muscular posterior margin of soft palate, extends downwards and backwards.

Question 41

What does the tonsillar fossa house?

Answer 41

Palatine tonsil

Question 42

What is the palatoglossal arch?

Answer 42

Anterior pillar Soft tissue ridge on soft palate Separates oral cavity from oropharynx

Question 43

What is the palatooharyngeal arch?

Answer 43

Posterior pillar. Soft tissue ridge on soft palate. Extends from soft palate to side of pharynx.

Question 44

Nerve innervation of the palate

Answer 44

Sensory innervation is supplied by maxillary nerve branches. Hard palate - greater palatine and nasopalatine nerves. Soft palate - lesser palatine nerves.

Question 45

Blood supply of the palate

Answer 45

Hard palate - greater palatine artery. Soft palate - lesser palatine artery.