Oral cavity

The oral cavity is the first part of the digestive system and serves as the entrance to both the digestive and respiratory tracts. It extends from the oral fissure anteriorly to the oropharyngeal isthmus posteriorly and is divided into the oral vestibule, located between the lips/cheeks and teeth/gingiva, and the oral cavity proper, situated within the dental arches.

The oral cavity contains the teeth, tongue, gingiva, hard and soft palate, and openings of the major salivary glands. Its mucosa is lined mainly by stratified squamous epithelium. The oral cavity plays important roles in mastication, speech, swallowing, taste, and the initial stages of digestion through salivary secretions.

It is supplied by branches of the maxillary and facial arteries, innervated primarily by branches of the trigeminal nerve.