More information about the mouth

The Tongue

At the back of the tongue there are some swellings which consist of lymphoid tissue. Underneath the tongue there is a midline attachment - the frenulum - and the opening of some of the salivary ducts. There are other salivary glands - the parotid glands - which lie over the angle of the jaw and have a duct that opens into the inside of the cheek at about the level of the second molar tooth.

The Teeth

In the adult there are up to 32 teeth which are different in shape and function. From the front backwoods there are incisors, canines, premolars and molars. The incisors and canines are used to cut the food, while the others grind it to aid digestion. These are usually in place by the age of 20, but there may be delayed eruption of the large molars at the back. The newborn baby does not usually have teeth (though there may occasionally be one or two present at birth). The infant develops 20 so-called milk teeth which start to appear at round about six months, and which are lost between the ages of six and 14 and replaced by the permanent teeth. The process of teething is said by some not to be painful, but the obvious distress of the teething baby raises doubts in the minds of many about this.

Swallowing Food

Swallowing food is initiated by the tip of the tongue pressing against the roof of the mouth and contracting from the front backwards, pushing the bolus of food back towards the throat. As the food reaches the back of the tongue the process of swallowing becomes automatic.