13. The mouth and oral cavity

This chapter describes the structure and various functions of the mouth and salivary glands. Structures considered to be part of the mouth are the lips, the teeth, the gingiva (gums), the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, the tonsils, the palate, the palatal arches, the uvula, the tongue, the lingual frenulum (tongue web), the posterior pharyngeal wall and the salivary glands. We explain how you can examine the mouth, considering its anatomy, motor function and sensation, and the appearance of the most common abnormalities and syndromes. Lastly, we explain in what cases you should suspect a malignancy.