The Parts of Your Mouth & What They Do

While doctors will tell you it’s essential, you may not see the point of good oral care. Perhaps you think brushing and flossing are just meaningless chores. In reality, though, these habits are crucial to your general well-being. This fact becomes plain when you understand the different parts of your mouth. Fortunately, your local Duncanville dentist can tell you all about them. Read on to learn about your mouth’s basic anatomy and what each section does.

Teeth, Gums, &  Alveolar Bone

The obvious place to start is with your teeth, gums, and what connects them. After all, these things tend to be the most noticeable parts of your mouth.

The function of these three regions is straightforward. First, teeth are hard, bony structures that help you chew food and speak. The gums, meanwhile, are tissues that surround teeth and protect their toots. Lastly, the alveolar bone covers the tooth roots and helps keep the pearly whites in place.

Salivary Glands

Your salivary glands are also important mouthparts. In essence, they’re six glands that are spread through your oral cavity and jaw.

Per their name, the salivary glands produce your saliva. This latter substance consists of water, protein, and minerals that help digestion. Its main purpose is to break down your food to begin the digestive process and moisten your mouth. That said, it also washes away the acids created by cavity-causing bacteria.

Tongue

Naturally, another important mouth part to cover is the tongue. It’s a digestive organ behind your teeth that can freely move around.

Of course, you likely already know a bit about what the tongue does. Notably, it helps you move chewed food down your throat. It also allows you to speak and taste. That last function, especially, is achieved by the tongue’s 10,000 taste buds – these let you sense salty, sweet, savory, and bitter flavors.

Lips and Cheeks

To be clear, not all crucial mouth parts are inside your body. The lips and cheeks play a vital role as well.

Overall, the lips and cheeks have three primary functions. The first is to keep saliva and food from leaving your mouth while you eat. From there, the second function is to let air enter your mouth. The last purpose of these parts is to present your facial expressions for communication.

Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)

A lesser-known mouth part, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your mandible to your skull. You have two of them on either side of your head.

What the TMJ does is simple. Namely, it lets you open and close your mouth, as well as move your lower jaw forward and side to side. As a result, each assists you in talking, chewing, and swallowing.

Ultimately, you need good oral care to preserve these parts of your mouth. So, remember to see your dentist regularly for checkups!

About the Practice

Bear Creek Family Dentistry is based in Duncanville, TX. Led by its amazing team of dentists, our practice strives to give each patient top-quality dentistry. We thus offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative services, as well as emergency dental care. Our office is also a proud provider of traditional braces for your orthodontic needs. For more details or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (972)-331-8100.