SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES

LEOPARDS HILL CAMPUS

LECTURE NOTES IN EMBRYOLOGY

THE ORAL CAVITY

By

Prof Kasonde Bowa

MSc,M.Med,FRCS,FCS,FACS,DPH,MPH,FCMS(Z)

Programme: MBChB
Course: Human Anatomy
Code: BMHA 121
Module: Module 1 Oral Cavity
Topic: The Embryology of the Oral Cavity

Introduction:

The Oral Cavity is the first part of the GIT. These lecture notes provide the teaching
material for this section, which supports the audio power point materials which you
will have listened to already.

The Oral Cavity begins from the lips to the Oral Pharynx. It has 3 parts, which are
1.The Vestibule
2.The Oral cavity proper
3.The Oral Pharynx

This module discusses the Embryology of the Oral Cavity and its four main organs.
Upon completion of this second section of module one, you will proceed to the
module 1 sample questions.

Learning Objectives:

These materials contain the lecture note of the Module 1 course in Embryology.
They are accompanied by a power point audio lecture. These materials will
supplement your learning of the audio power point lecture.

Material Outlines:

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These lecture notes provided some summary notes on the Embryology of the four
organs which will have been discussed in the power point audio lecture in
Embryology of the Oral Cavity.
These are
1.The Tongue
2.The Teeth
3.The Tonsils
4.The Salivary Glands

Lecture Notes

The Embryology of the Oral Cavity

The Embryology of the Oral cavity
In the development of the Oral cavity, the first place to start is the oral cavity
itself,before going on to each of the 4 main organs of the mouth.

The development of the Oral cavity

The mouth or the oral cavity development occurs from the 3 rd to 8th week of
development.The cavity forms, when the embryo folds.The cranial fold brings the
ectodermal layer of the mouth the stomatodeum into contact with the foregut
endoderm.The membrane separating the two layers called the buccopharyngeal
membrane ruptures and this creates the mouth.

Four ease of understanding the oral cavity cavity be said to occur in two
stages.These are the
1. External development
2. Internal development

External Development
The oral cavity formation is part of the development of the face.The face forms from
3 segments the frontnasal process, the maxillary process and the mandibular
process.The lower two processes are responsible for the development of the
mouth.The upper lips are formed by the maxillary process and part the medial nasal
process.The lower lip is made by the mandibular process.The opening of the mouth
is the perforated buccopharyngeal membrane.

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The Internal development
The development of the palate results in the internal development of the oral cavity
as distinct from the nasal cavity.From the 6 to the 12 th week three piece unit to form
the palate, which froms the rrof of the mouth.These are the two lateral palatine
shelves and the median palatine process.When these pieces fuse with each other
the oral cavity is formed separate from the nasal cavity.

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Development organs of the mouth
Teeth
The teeth develop from the 4th to the 8th week.The teeth arise from two of the body
layer.The upper tooth from ectodermal layer and the lower tooth from the
mesodermal layer. The ectoderm give rise to the visible crown elements- Enamel
and Dentine. While the mesoderm gives rise to the invisible pulp or cavitary
elements.This development occurs in 3 stages which are the Bud phase, the Cap
phase and the Bell phase.Once teeth develop the grow in life.This growth of teeth
grow takes part in two phase.These are the transitional temporal teeth (6mn to 6
years) and the final permanent teeth(6 years to 24years)

Bud phase
From the 6week an ectodermal thickening forms called a Dental lamina.These form
10 tooth buds, superiorly and inferiorly.The Dental lamina invaginates and forms the
Dental tooth bud.

Cap phase
From the Bud phase comes the Cap phase.During this phase the tooth bud takes the
shape of a cap.The central part of the cap is invaded by mesenchymal tissue, which
is called the Dental papilla.This will eventually form the inferior elements of the tooth
including the dentine, pulp and root of the tooth.

Bell phase

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The final phase is when the cap phase extends its two later wings to internalize the
Dental papilla. When it does this it takes on the appearance of a Bell, therefore the
term Bell phase. During this period a secondary bud for the permanent tooth begins
to form from the Dental lamina.The dental lamina forms forms the inner and outter
enamel epithelium, which gives rise to the enamel.The Dental papilla on the other
hand is now sealed of posteriorly by the Dental sac.It now differentiates segmentally
into the dentine superiorly, the pulp in the middle and the Dental roots inferiorly.The
cellular elements important in this phase are the ameloblasts that form enamel, the
odontoblasts that form dentine and the cementoblasts that form cementum.This is
illustrated in the diagram shown next.

Development of the Teeth

A distinction is drawn between the embryological development of the teeth which
occurs in intrauterine life (in the womb), and development of the teeth, which
continues post uterine(after birth-in childhood and teenage life).Since the facial
bones in general and the jaw in particular, are not fully formed in makes sense for
the teeth to continue to develop after birth. It also makes sense from the point of
view of nutrition.Given that the developing baby begins to need more and more solid
food as they grow from childhood into adulthood.In order to address these
anatomical and physiological requirements the teeth develop in two phases, which
are called the transitional phase of teeth development and the permanent phase.
This can be viewed as occurring in 3 steps

1.Migration of teeth into the occur cavity commences at 6months of age

2.Eruption- this is when the teeth in turn starting being seen in the oral cavity from
6month to about 6years. The full compliment of Decidous or Temporal teeth that
eventually erupt are 20.The only teeth that donot erupt are the 3 molar teeth at the
back.(A total of 12 teeth).
3.Permanent teeth- from 6 years to about 18years the permanent tooth bud
produces osteoclasts that digest the roots of the temporal teeth at these begin to fall
out one by one until they are all replaced by 32 permanent teeth. Permanent
Temporal teeth
Teeth

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 Permanent
Teeth

Tongue
The tongues develops as two separate segments, which fuse at the area of the
sulcus terminalis which is V shaped and marked by the circumvallate papilla
described earlier. These are the development of the Anterior tongue and the
development of the posterior tongue.

Development of the Anterior part

The anterior tongue develops from the 1st pharyngeal arch of the neck. This
commences as two distal tongues buds , one on the left and one on the right
side.These buds are also called the lateral lingual swellings.Posteriorly a third piece
called the median tongue bud develops.These parts fuse from the 4 th to the 8week
and form the anterior two thirds of the tongue.

Posterior Part
The posterior part forms from the 3 rd and 4th pharyngeal arch.These overgrew the
second arch to form the posterior 1/3 of the tongue.The swelling from the third arch
is called the copula and that from the fourth arch the hypopharyngeal eminence.At

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the junction of the two parts of the tongue is found the foramen caecum, which is
where the Thyroid gland will develop from.

This rather complex development of the tongue results in a complex innervation of

the tongue from each of the 3 arches which are part of the tongue development. In
addition the occipital myotomes migrate into the developing tongue to provide the
muscles of the tongue, with there innervation from cranial nerve 12, the Hypoglossal
nerve.

In summary;
1.The motor innervation is the Hypoglossal nerve Cranial
nerve 12.

2.The sensory innervation is the lingual nerve anterior from

the Mandibular branch of the Trigeminal and
Glossopharyngeal nerve(CN 9) for the posterior part.

3.The special sensation of taste is the Chorda Tympani from

the facial nerve anteriorly and the Glossopharyngeal nerve
posteriorly.

Tonsil
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The tonsils develops from the elements that form the neck.These elements develop
from 6 arches in the neck that fuse to form the neck regionas well as its internal
organs.
The tonsils develop from the 2 nd pharyngeal pouch from the 4 th week to the 8th
week.The invaginations in the endormal lining form the tonsillar crypts, while the
lymphoid tissues migrated to the site to form the lymphoid follicles in the substance
of the gland.By the 10th week the tonsils are fully developed.

Salivary Glands
The Salivary glands in contrast to the Tonsils develop in the head and neck
area.With the Parotid gland developing externally , while the Sublingual and sub
mandibular develop internally.

The Parotid Gland

This develops from the ectodermal lining at the the mandibular maxillary junction.It is
the first of the glands to form from the 6 to 10week of development.

The Submandibular gland

This develops from the oral enderm at the alveolar lingual groove.It starts developing
in the 8th week.

The Sublingual gland

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This develops also form the oral enderm, at the lingual buccal groove.This develops
from the 8 to the 12week.