Oral Anatomy: Floor of the Mouth and Palate

Floor of the Mouth and Palate

• Clinical Appearance of the Floor of the Mouth (FOM):
  • Color: Reddish-pink with bluish areas where veins are visible.
  • Texture: Shiny, moist, and compressible.
  • Key Features: Lingual frenum, sublingual papillae, Wharton's duct, sublingual folds, and sometimes mandibular tori.
• Clinical Appearance of the Palate:
  • Hard Palate: Pink, firm, immobile, with a firmer central region and more cushioned lateral sides.
  • Soft Palate: Deeper pink, moist, compressible, and elastic.
• Histopathology of the Floor of the Mouth (FOM):
  • Non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium supported by a dense connective tissue lamina propria, rich in blood vessels and salivary ducts.
• Histopathology of the Hard Palate:
  • Keratinized stratified squamous epithelium with a dense lamina propria firmly attached to underlying bone.
  • Minor salivary glands in the lateral submucosa.
• Histopathology of the Soft Palate:
  • Non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium.
  • Lamina propria rich in elastic fibers, allowing flexibility.
  • Submucosa containing salivary glands.

Muscles Associated with the Floor of the Mouth

• Mylohyoid:
  • Origin: Mylohyoid line of the mandible.
  • Insertion: Body of the hyoid bone.
  • Action: Forms the floor of the oral cavity, elevates the floor of the mouth and hyoid bone, and assists in depressing the mandible.
• Hyoglossus:
  • Origin: Greater cornu of the hyoid bone.
  • Insertion: Lateral borders of the tongue.
  • Action: Depresses and retracts the tongue.
• Geniohyoid:
  • Origin: Inferior genial tubercle of the mandible.
  • Insertion: Body of the hyoid bone.
  • Action: Elevates the hyoid bone and shortens the floor of the mouth.

Key Features of the Floor of the Mouth and Palate

• Floor of the Mouth (FOM):
  • Lingual frenum: Mucosal fold connecting the tongue to the floor of the mouth.
  • Sublingual papillae: Openings for the submandibular ducts on either side of the frenulum.
  • Wharton's Duct: Major duct of the submandibular gland.
  • Sublingual folds: Tissue ridges overlying the sublingual glands.
  • Mandibular Tori: Bony growths on the lingual side of the mandible (may not be present in all individuals).
• Hard Palate:
  • Incisive Papilla: A small bump behind the maxillary central incisors.
  • Palatine Rugae: Folds of mucosa that provide tactile sensation.
  • Median Palatine Raphe: A ridge running along the midline of the hard palate.
  • Palatal Torus: A bony prominence (if present).
• Soft Palate:
  • Uvula: A small, fleshy extension hanging from the soft palate.
  • Pillars of the Fauces: Two arches (anterior and posterior) on either side of the uvula.
  • Tonsillar Fossa: Space between the pillars, where the palatine tonsils are located.

Nerve Innervation and Blood Supply

• Floor of the Mouth (FOM):
  • Nerve Innervation: Lingual nerve (branch of CN V3), hypoglossal nerve (CN XII), and glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX).
  • Blood Supply: Lingual artery, sublingual artery, and submental artery.
• Hard Palate:
  • Nerve Innervation: Greater palatine nerve and nasopalatine nerve (branches of CN V2).
  • Blood Supply: Greater palatine artery.
• Soft Palate:
  • Nerve Innervation: Lesser palatine nerve (branch of CN V2).
  • Blood Supply: Lesser palatine arteries.

This quiz covers the clinical appearance and histopathology of the floor of the mouth and palate. It delves into their anatomical features, including the texture, color, and the underlying tissue structures. Test your knowledge of these important areas in oral anatomy.