Oral cavity
Updates to Article Attributes
The oral cavity, also known as the mouth, is the most proximal portion of the aerodigestive tract, and is continuous posteriorly with the oropharynx.
Gross anatomy
Boundaries
The oral cavity includes the lips anteriorly. For purposes of staging oral carcinoma according to the 8th edition of the AJCC TNM staging system, the oral cavity starts at the portion of the lip that contacts the opposed lip (wet mucosa) and excludes the dry vermilion lip.
Posteriorly, the oral cavity extends to a ring of structures (circumvallate papillae, anterior tonsillar pillars, and junction of hard and soft palates) that divides it from the oropharynx.
The oropharyngeal isthmus is the relatively constricted opening between the oral cavity and the oropharynx. The narrowing is caused by the fauces of the palatine tonsils; the isthmus is important for phonation 5.
Subsites
The oral cavity is divided into a number of subsites both anatomically and for the purposes of cancer staging:
- mucosal lip
- buccal mucosa
- upper alveolar ridge (mucosa overlying alveolar process of maxilla)
- lower alveolar ridge (mucosa overlying alveolar process of mandible)
- retromolar gingiva (retromolar trigone)
- floor of mouth
- anterior two-thirds of the tongue (oral tongue; posterior third is part of the oropharynx)
- hard palate
Related pathology
-<p>The <strong>oral cavity</strong>, also known as the <strong>mouth</strong>, is the most proximal portion of the <a title="Aerodigestive tract (anatomy)" href="/articles/aerodigestive-tract-anatomy">aerodigestive tract</a>, and is continuous posteriorly with the <a href="/articles/oropharynx">oropharynx</a>. </p><h4>Gross anatomy</h4><h5>Boundaries</h5><p>The oral cavity includes the lips anteriorly. For purposes of staging oral carcinoma according to the <a href="/articles/oral-cavity-carcinoma-staging">8th edition of the AJCC TNM staging system</a>, the oral cavity starts at the portion of the lip that contacts the opposed lip (wet mucosa) and excludes the dry vermilion lip.</p><p>Posteriorly, the oral cavity extends to a ring of structures (circumvallate papillae, anterior <a href="/articles/palatine-tonsil">tonsillar pillars</a>, and junction of <a title="Hard palate" href="/articles/hard-palate">hard</a> and <a href="/articles/soft-palate">soft palates</a>) that divides it from the <a href="/articles/oropharynx">oropharynx</a>.</p><p>The oropharyngeal isthmus is the relatively constricted opening between the oral cavity and the oropharynx. The narrowing is caused by the fauces of the palatine tonsils; the isthmus is important for phonation <sup>5</sup>.</p><h5>Subsites</h5><p>The oral cavity is divided into a number of subsites both anatomically and for the purposes of cancer staging:</p><ul>- +<p>The <strong>oral cavity</strong>, also known as the <strong>mouth</strong>, is the most proximal portion of the <a title="Aerodigestive tract" href="/articles/aerodigestive-tract">aerodigestive tract</a>, and is continuous posteriorly with the <a href="/articles/oropharynx">oropharynx</a>. </p><h4>Gross anatomy</h4><h5>Boundaries</h5><p>The oral cavity includes the lips anteriorly. For purposes of staging oral carcinoma according to the <a href="/articles/oral-cavity-carcinoma-staging">8th edition of the AJCC TNM staging system</a>, the oral cavity starts at the portion of the lip that contacts the opposed lip (wet mucosa) and excludes the dry vermilion lip.</p><p>Posteriorly, the oral cavity extends to a ring of structures (circumvallate papillae, anterior <a href="/articles/palatine-tonsil">tonsillar pillars</a>, and junction of <a href="/articles/hard-palate">hard</a> and <a href="/articles/soft-palate">soft palates</a>) that divides it from the <a href="/articles/oropharynx">oropharynx</a>.</p><p>The oropharyngeal isthmus is the relatively constricted opening between the oral cavity and the oropharynx. The narrowing is caused by the fauces of the palatine tonsils; the isthmus is important for phonation <sup>5</sup>.</p><h5>Subsites</h5><p>The oral cavity is divided into a number of subsites both anatomically and for the purposes of cancer staging:</p><ul>
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