Oral cavity

The oral cavity is divided into two parts, the space between lips, cheeks and the teeth is called the oral vestibule (vestibulum oris). The oral cavity (Cavitas oris) is bordered by the teeth, the palate and the floor of the mouth with the tongue. It is lined with oral mucosa, which contains many glands.

The glands and saliva keep the mucous membrane moist at all times. There are also sensory receptors for touch and temperature sensation.

  • Oral vestibule (Vestibulum oris) and the actual
  • Oral cavity (Cavitas oris propria).

Development

The oral cavity (stomatodeum), or its lining epithelium, is formed from a cotyledon, the ectoderm, and is turned inside out during development. The structures in the mouth, such as the tongue and teeth, develop from the ectoderm and neural crest mesenchyme. Tongue and teeth are created from the sixth week of embryonic development.

Function of the oral cavity

The oral cavity represents the first section of the digestive tract. It is mainly used to crush and prepare food for digestion. In the oral cavity, the food is crushed by the teeth and ground with the tongue.

The salivary glands produce enzymes that break down the food into its individual components and thaw them in the mouth. Up to 1.5 liters of saliva are produced daily. Afterwards, the prepared food is transported further towards the stomach.

The oral cavity is also indispensable for speech (phonetics). This is where the sound of the sounds that are formed in the larynx is produced. The oral cavity thus plays an important role in communication.

Oral flora

There are about 300 species of bacteria in the oral cavity. These are harmless and belong to the “normal” oral flora. The metabolic products produced by the bacteria are normally constantly washed away by saliva and cannot cause any damage in the oral cavity.

In very dry mouths, however, if there is too little saliva, these waste products remain in the mouth and lead to bad breath and plaque build-up. This is especially the case after sleeping, as the production of saliva is reduced. Poor oral hygiene and an unbalanced diet with predominantly acidic and carbohydrate-containing foods also damage the natural oral flora.