ORAL ANATOMY: LESSON 1
VESTIBULE:
ORAL CAVITY – space bounded by
the lips anteriorly, the oropharynx
posteriorly, the cheeks laterally,
the palate superiorly and the floor
of the mouth inferiorly
FUNCTIONS OF THE ORAL
CAVITY:
• MASTICATION
• AIRWAY
• SPEECH
MUCUS MEMBRANE – or the
ORAL MUCOSA is a pink soft tissue
lining which protects your oral
cavity
TYPES OF ORAL MUCOSA:
• MASTICATORY MUCOSA –
found on areas subjected to
stress like the gums and the
hard palate
• SPECIALIZED MUCOSA –
found on areas with a
specialized function on the face
like the dorsal part of the
tongue
• LINING MUCOSA – found on
the other areas of your oral
cavity like the inner lining of the
cheeks, lips and mouth
DIVISIONS OF THE ORAL
CAVITY:
• ORAL VESTIBULE/
VESTIBULAR ORIS – a small
anti-chamber space bounded by
the lips anteriorly, the cheeks
laterally and the facial surfaces
of the teeth and the bone
medially
• ORAL CAVITY PROPER – space
bounded by the lingual surfaces
or the inner surfaces of the
teeth and the throat
STRUCTURES OF THE ORAL
FORNIX VESTIBULI – or
VESTIBULAR FORNIX is s horse
shoe-shaped furrow lined by mucus
membrane which is the area of
reflection between the roof of the
lips or the cheeks and the alveolar
bone
ALVEOLAR BONE – houses the
tooth
ALVEOLAR MUCOSA – a darker
red mucosa on the medial border
of the oral vestibule containing
more blood vessels and few
salivary glands
GINGIVA/GUMS – are coral pink in
color, highly keratinized and
adheres tightly to the bones found
near the neck of the tooth
MAXILLARY TUBEROSITY – a
bony prominence found at the
most distal end of the alveolar
process
RETROMOLAR PAPILLA – an
overgrowth or extension of gingival
found distal to the upper last molar
RETROMOLAR PAD – soft tissue
prominence which is an
aggregation of the buccal glands
FRENUM/FRENULUM – a sickle-
shaped fold of tissue attaching the
lips or the cheeks to the alveolar
bone
• LABIAL FRENUM – a frenum
from the inner of the lip to the
alveolar bone near the central
incisor (the upper labial frenum
is stronger than the lower labial
frenum)
• BUCCAL FRENUM – a frenum
that loosely attaches the cheeks
to the alveolar bone (the lower
buccal frenum is stronger than
the upper buccal frenum)

- Rosette Go 070208 