The Oral Cavity

Question 1

What are the 3 major functions of the oral cavity?

Answer 1

Digestion, communication, breathing

Question 2

What are the two divisions of the oral cavity?

Answer 2

Vestibule and mouth cavity proper

Question 3

What controls the diameter of the oral fissure?

Answer 3

Muscles of facial expression - mainly obilcularis oris

Question 4

Where does the duct of the parotid gland open out into the vestibule?

Answer 4

Opposite the upper second molar tooth

Question 5

What does the roof of the mouth proper consist of?

Answer 5

Hard and soft palates

Question 6

What does the floor of the mouth proper consist of?

Answer 6

Muscular diphragm (bilateral mylohyoid muscles)

Geniohyoid muscles

Tongue

Salivary glands and ducts

Question 7

What do the geniohyoid muscles do to the larynx during swallowing?

Answer 7

Pulls it forward

Question 8

What do mylohyoid muscles do to the larynx during swallowing?

Answer 8

Pulls it forward

Question 9

What muscle forms the cheeks?

Answer 9

Buccinator

Question 10

What innervates the hard and soft palates?

Answer 10

Greater palatine and nasopalatine nerves (branches of CN Vb)

Question 11

What provides sensory innervation to the floor of the oral cavity?

Answer 11

Lingual nerve (branch of mandibular branch of CN V)

Question 12

What provides sensory innervation to the cheeks?

Answer 12

Buccal nerve (branch of mandibular division of CN V)

Question 13

What provides motor innervation to the tongue?

Answer 13

Hypoglossal nerve (and vagus nerve for palatoglossus)

Question 14

What provides taste to the anterior 2/3 of the tongue?

Answer 14

Chorda tympani (CN VII)

Question 15

What provides sensation to the anterior 2/3 of the tongue?

Answer 15

Trigeminal (V3)

Question 16

What provides sensation to the posterior 1/3 of the tongue?

Answer 16

Glossopharyngeal nerve

Question 17

What provides taste to the posterior 1/3 of the tongue?

Answer 17

Glossopharyngeal nerve

Question 18

What are the salivary glands?

Answer 18

Submandibular, parotid and sublingual

Question 19

What is the duct associated with the submandibular gland?

Answer 19

Wharton duct

Question 20

What is the duct associated with the parotid gland?

Answer 20

Stensen duct

Question 21

Where are most salivary gland stones located?

Answer 21

In submandibular glands

Question 22

What is sialolithiasis?

Answer 22

Salivary gland stones

Question 23

What can cause sialolithiasis (salivary gland stones)?

Answer 23

Dehydration, reduced salivary flow

Question 24

Which tonsils are most commonly affected in tonsillitis?

Answer 24

Palatine

Question 25

What are the boundaries of the nasopharynx?

Answer 25

Base of skull to upper border of soft palate (C1-C2)

Question 26

What are the boundaries of the oropharynx?

Answer 26

Soft palate to epiglottis (C2-C3)

Question 27

What are the boundaries of the laryngopharynx?

Answer 27

Oropharynx to oesophagus (C4-C6)

Question 28

What is the pharynx?

Answer 28

A muscular tube that connects the nasal cavities to the larynx and oesophagus

Question 29

Describe the innervation to the pharyngeal muscles

Answer 29

Mostly CN X apart from stylopharyngeus which is CN IX

Question 30

What are the two types of muscles that form the walls of the pharynx?

Answer 30

Longitudinal and circular

Question 31

What are the circular muscles of the pharynx?

Answer 31

Superior, middle and inferior pharyngeal constrictors

Question 32

What do the circular muscles of the pharynx do?

Answer 32

Contract sequentially and constrict the lumen to propel a bolus inferiorly into the oesophagus

Question 33

What are the longitudinal muscles of the pharynx?

Answer 33

Stylopharyngeus (CN IX), palatopharyngeus and salpingopharyngeus (also opens eustachian tube)

Question 34

What do the longitudinal muscles of the pharynx do?

Answer 34

Shorten and widen the pharynx, and elevate the larynx during swallowing

Question 35

What provides sensory innervation to the nasopharynx?

Answer 35

Maxillary nerve (CN Vb)

Question 36

What provides sensory innervation to the oropharynx?

Answer 36

CN IX

Question 37

What supplies sensory innervation to the laryngopharynx?

Answer 37

CN X

Question 38

What is the arterial supply to the pharynx?

Answer 38

Branches of the ECA

Question 39

What does the oropharynx contain?

Answer 39

Posterior 1/3 of tongue, palatine tonsils, lingual tonsils and superior constrictor muscle

Question 40

Which lymph nodes become enlarged with tonsillitis?

Answer 40

Jugulo-digastric lymph nodes

Question 41

What two parts is the inferior pharyngeal constrictor split into?

Answer 41

Thyropharyngeus and cricopharyngeus (area between the two is a weak area in the mucosa)