As I introduced today, the mission of Pioneer smile care is to improve oral health through oral health education and promotion.

To understand and prevent yourself from oral diseases and conditions, one must know the basics of the oral cavity structures and functions. Reason why I chose to start with the oral cavity structures and functions.

Always when we say oral health, we mean the health of the teeth, gums, and the entire oral-facial system that allows us to smile, speak, and chew.

Teeth

You have two types of teeth
1. Childhood teeth: they are 20 teeth, we can call them temporary teeth because they erupt since 6 month of age up to 2.9 years of age. Childhood teeth come out (shed) starting from 6years of age up to 13years of age, to be replaced by permanent teeth.

2. Permanent teeth: they are usually 32 teeth that erupt since 7years of age up to 18 or 24years of age.

Normally a person has front teeth usually for cutting foods and back teeth for grinding foods.

Parts of the tooth

• Outer WHITE part of the crown part is called
• ENAMEL
• Middle YELLOW part is called DENTIN
• Outer WHITE part of the root is called CEMENTUM
• Then that can canal is called PULP CANAL and contains pulp vessels.

Around the tooth there are supporting and surrounding structures called periodontium.

Periodontium is composed of:

1. Gums

Gums surround the tooth and the bone supporting it. Normally gum color can vary from red or pink to brown or black depending on the race. The normal gum is firm, stipple like orange core and doesn't bleed while brushing.

2. Periodontal ligaments

These are the ligaments that attach the tooth in the alveolar socket (bone socket). When diseased, the tooth becomes mobile.

3. Alveolar sockets

These are the bone sockets where teeth are planted.

4. Cementum

This is also part of both tooth and periodontium, it supports and surround the root.

Tongue

The main functions of the tongue are:
● Taste.
● Chewing.
● Swallowing.
● Speech.
● Cleansing.
● Protection: moves around the mouth the saliva that has an antibacterial property.

Salivary Gland

Parotid, submandibular, sublingual glands and other minor salivary glands are responsible of producing and secreting the saliva. Saliva has the following:

• Cleaning: wash away food debris.

• Makes swallowing food easier by softening the food.

• Antibacterial effect: fighting off bacteria entering the mouth.

• Lubricating effect that protects mucous membranes.

• pH buffering effect: reduce the acidity in the mouth and that prevents teeth decay.

• Effect of promoting remineralization of teeth.

• Effect of protecting the tongue as a lubricant and developing the sense of taste.

So when one of the above structures is affected or one of the functions, there will be the effects in the mouth. So to prevent oral diseases is to maintain those structures and functions.

Next of our articles will be about oral diseases and conditions.

Disclaimer
✔ This article is not for dental professionals or dental students. This article and the language used were simplified for the public to better understand. Professionals and students are advised to use books that detail everything we talked about.
✔ All images used are from royalty free image stocks.

Thank you very much!

Your smile our priority