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The Mouth

The mouth is responsible for grinding the food into small pieces that can easily pass through the pharynx and esophagus.

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The mouth includes the hard and soft palates, uvula, tonsils, tongue, and teeth. 

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  • The hard palate separates the oral and naval cavities, and it also acts in helping food travel along into the pharynx.

  • The soft palate works with the uvula to close off the airway when swallowing. 

  • The uvula also functions in producing saliva and contributes to the sounds of our voices.

  • Next to our uvula, we have a pair of tonsils that trap any germs and bacteria that enter through the nasal and oral cavities.

The Teeth

In the mouth, we have 32 teeth at an adult age. These teeth (8 incisors, 4 canines, 8 premolars, and 12 molars) allow us to chew and grind our food so that it can be small enough to swallow and digest. 

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While our teeth are small, there are several components that make up each individual tooth.

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There are two primary domains of a tooth--the crown and the root.

  • The Crown

    • On the top layer of the crown lies the enamel that is made of calcium compounds, which act as a first defense to the teeth.

    • The dentin is found underneath the enamel. It is a thick, bonelike material that layers over the pulp.

    • The pulp contains the nerves and blood vessels within the root canal.

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  • The Root

    • The periodontal membrane and cementum are tissues that are responsible for attaching our teeth to our gums. 

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