TEETH

We masticate, or chew, by opening and closing our jaws and moving them from side to side while
continuously using our tongue to move the food between our teeth.

By the age of 21, 2 sets of teeth have been formed.

 Deciduous teeth

-also called baby teeth or milk teeth

-begins to erupt around 6 mos. and a baby has a full set (20 teeth ) by the age of 2 years.

-lower central incisors (first teeth to appear)

 Permanent teeth

- second set of teeth

-the roots of the milk teeth are reabsorebed

-between 6 and 12 years they loosen and fall out

*All of the permanent teeth but the third molars have erupted by the end of adolescence.

Wisdom teeth

- third molars

-emerged between 17 and 25 years old

* Although there are 32 permanent teeth in a full set, the wisdom teeth often fail to erupt; sometimes
they are completely absent.

* When the teeth remain embedded in the jawbone, they are said to be impacted. Impacted teeth
exert pressure and cause a good deal of pain and must be removed surgically. Wisdom teeth are the
most commonly impacted.

We classify the teeth according to function as:

 incisors - chisel-shaped, adapted for cutting

 canines –fanglike, adapted for tearing or piercing

 premolars and molars – have broad crowns with rounded tips, best suited for grinding
Two major regions of the tooth:

 Crown –enamel-covered; the exposed part of the tooth above the gingiva or gum

 Root – ceramic like substance; directly bears the force of chewing

- The hardest substance in the body

- Heavily mineralized with calcium salts

- Embedded in the jaw bone

- outer surface is covered by a substance called cement – attaches the tooth

to the periodontal membrane (ligament) which holds the tooth in place in
the body jaw.

Dentin- a bonelike material, underlies the enamel and forms the bulk of the tooth.

-surrounds a central pulp cavity– contains a number of structures (connective

tissue, blood vessels and nerve fibers

- collectively called pulp

Pulp- supplies nutrients and provides for tooth sensations

Root canal- where the pulp cavity extends to the root

-provides a route for blood vessels, nerve and other pulp structures to enter the pulp
cavity of the of the tooth

Neck- connects the root and the crown

SALIVARY GLANDS

There are three pairs of salivary glands empty their secretions into the mouth.

 Large parotid gland- lie anterior to the ears

*Mumps- common childhood disease, an inflammation of the parotid glands

 Semimandibular Gland and the Sublingual Gland

- empty their secretions into the floor the floor of the mouth through tiny ducts

*Saliva- a product of the salivary glands, mixture of mucus and serous fluids
 Bolus- a mass which helps to bind the food together; makes chewing
and swallowing easier

Salivary amylase- an enzyme in a bicarbonate- rich (alkaline) juice that

begins the process of starch digestion in the mouth

 Saliva also contains substances such as lysozyme and antibodies (IgA) that inhibit bacteria:
therefore, it has a protective function as well. Lastly, it dissolves food chemicals so they can be
tasted.

Pancreas

- a soft, pink triangular gland that extends across the abdomen from the spleen to
the duodenum

-lies posterior to the parietal peritoneum; it is referred to as retroperitoneal

* Only the pancreas produces enzymes that breakdown all categories of digestible foods.

Pancreatic enzymes- are secreted into the duodenum in the alkaline fluid that neutralizes the acidic
chyme coming from the stomach.

Liver

-the largest gland in the body

-has four lobes and is suspended from the diaphragm and abdominal wall by a delicate
mesentery cord, the falciform ligament

-one of the body’s most important organs

- its digestive function is to produce bile

Common hepatic duct- where the bile leaves the liver

Bile duct- where the bile enters the duodenum

Bile- is a yellow to green watery solution

-contains bile pigments –chiefly bilirubin, a breakdown product of hemoglobin), cholesterol,

phospholipids and a variety of electrolytes

* Of these components, only the bile salts (derived from cholesterol) and phospholipids aid the
digestive process.
* Bile does not contain enzymes, but its bile salts emulsify fats by physically breaking large fat
globules into smaller ones.

Gallbladder

- a small, thin-walled green sac that snuggles in a shallow fossa in the inferior surface of the liver.

*When food is occurring, bile backs up cystic duct and enters the gallbladder to be stored.

*While in the gallbladder, bile is concentrated by the removal of water. Later, when fatty food
enters the duodenum, a hormonal stimulus prompts the gallbladder to contract and spurt out
stored bile, making it available to the duodenum.

• If bile is stored in the gallbladder for too long and too much water is removed, the cholesterol it
contains, may crystallize and form gallstones.

• Blockage of the common hepatic or bile ducts (for example by wedged gallstones)may prevent
bile from entering the small intestine, and it begins to accumulate and eventually backs up to
the liver .

• This exerts effort to the liver cells which causes the bile salts and bile pigments to circulate to
the bloodstream. This causes the tissue to become yellow or jaundiced.

Jaundice

- caused by blockage of ducts

-more often, it is caused by liver problems such as hepatitis(an inflammation of the liver) or
cirrhosis (chronic inflammatory condition in which the liver is severely damaged and
becomes hard and fibrous).

Hepatitis

-viral infection resulted from drinking contaminated water or transmitted in blood via
transfusion or contaminated needles.