Structure of the oral cavity

The first section of the mouth is known as the oral cavity, or the mouth cavity. This space is bordered in the front and to the sides by the two alveolar arches, which contain the teeth.

The teeth are a group of hard organs found in the oral cavity. Teeth are used to masticate (or chew) food into tiny pieces. They also provide shape to the mouth and face and are important components in producing speech.

A tooth can be divided into two main parts: the crown and root. Found above the gum line, the crown is the enlarged region of the tooth involved in chewing. Below the gum line is the region of the tooth called the root, which anchors the tooth into a bony socket known as an alveolus. Each tooth is an organ consisting of three layers: the pulp, dentin and enamel.

The lips and cheeks contain the mimetic muscles: they are covered externally with the skin, and lined in the vestibule with the mucous membrane. The mucous membrane on the alveolar processes the jaw closely adheres to the periosteum and is called the gums (gingivae). Gingiva is the soft tissue that covers and protects the root of the tooth. The gum is not attached to the tooth. A red, moist, glistening tissue, which is called the mucous membrane or mucosa forms a protective covering for the tongue, palate, floor of the mouth and the inside of the lips and cheeks, much as the skin does for the rest of the body.

The tongue is a muscular organ covered with a mucous membrane. It consists of the tip, body and base. Underneath the tongue and the inner surface of the cheeks there are glands, three principal pairs being recognized: the sublingual, submaxillaries and parotids. They supply water, ferments and mucus to the food which is ground up by the teeth. Numerous small glands (labial, buccal, palatine and lingual) whose secretion contains mucus are imbedded in the mucous membrane of the oral cavity. Moreover, there are three pairs of large salivary glands whose ducts also open into the oral cavity. The secretion of the salivary glands is called saliva.

Exercise V. Answer the questions to the text:

1. What are the names of the principal glands of the oral cavity?

2. What is the tongue fastened to?

3. What do the salivary glands secrete?

4. What does the alveolar arch contain?

5. What is the function of the teeth?

6. What parts can a tooth be divided into?

7. What layers does the tooth consist of?

8. What is gingiva?

9. What is the function of the mucus membrane?

Exercise VI. Match the following Ukrainian words and word combinations with the English ones:

1. alveolar arch	1. піднижньощелепна та привушна залози
2. the crown and root	2. жувати їжу на маленькі шматочки
3. to anchor the tooth	3. формувати захисне покриття
4. to be lined with the mucous membrane	4. коронка та корінь
5. submaxillary and parotid glands	5. альвеолярна дуга
6. secretion of the salivary glands	6. вистилатися слизовою оболонкою
7. to form a protective covering	7. закріплювати зуб
8. to masticate food into pieces	8. виділення слинних залоз

Exercise VII. Translate the words given in italics into English. Translate the whole sentences into your native language:

1. The cheeks and the lips вистилаються слизовою оболонкою.

2. Mucous membrane формує захисне покриття for the inner oral organs.

3. Each tooth consists of коронки та кореня.

4. The tooth закріплюється into the sockets by the periodontal membrane.

5. Teeth are used to жувати їжу на маленькі шматочки.

6. Виділення слинних залоз smooth the food which is ground up by the teeth.

7. Слизова оболонка of the oral cavity reflects the health of the individual.

8. Надкісниця is a membrane that covers the outer surface of all bones in the human body.

Exercise VIII. Match the following terms with their definition:

a pulp	a part of the tooth hidden in the jaw that keeps the tooth in place.
a crown	the thickened ridge of bone that contains the tooth sockets (dental alveoli) on bones that hold teeth.
an enamel	a part of the soft tissue lining of the mouth.
a root	a part of the tooth visible in the mouth
a tongue	a muscular organ that forms part of the floor of the oral cavity
alveolar process	a small, calcified, whitish structure found in the jaws of many vertebrates and used to break down food.
a tooth	the part in the center of a tooth made up of living connective tissue and cells called odontoblasts.
gingiva	the outer covering of the tooth that is the hardest tissue in the body

Exercise IX. Match the beginning with the endings of the sentences:

1. teeth are used	a) a bony socket known as an alveolus.
2. gingiva is the soft tissue that	b) in producing speech.
3. glands supply water, ferments and mucus to	c) that lies over the mandible and maxilla inside the mouth.
4. the root anchors the tooth into	d) a visible part of the tooth in the mouth.
5. the mucous membrane or mucosa forms	e) covers and protects the root of the tooth.
6. teeth are important components	f) the food which is ground up by the teeth.
7. the gingiva consists of the mucosal tissue	g) a protective covering for the tongue, palate, etc.
8. the crown of a tooth is	h) to masticate food into tiny pieces.