Oral mucous membrane

• Masticatory mucosa. • ( keratinized epithelium) -

gingiva and palate

• Lining mucosa
• ( non keratinized epithelium)
Lips, cheeks, alveolus, floor of
mouth, ventral surface of tongue
and soft palate
• Specialised mucosa
• Dorsum of the tongue
• Vermillion zone (transition zone
between skin and oral mucosa)
Areas with non keratinized mucosa
• Lining mucosa
• 1. Labial mucosa and buccal mucosa
• 2. Soft palate
• 3. Alveolar mucosa and vestibular fornix
• 4. Mucosa of ventral aspect of tongue
• 5. Mucosa of floor of mouth
 Lip and cheek
• Epithelium of the mucosa of lip and of
cheek is stratified squamous non
keratinized epithelium.
• Lamina propria of labial and buccal
mucosa consists of dense connective
tissue and has short irregular papillae.
• The submucous layer connects the lamina
propria to thin fascia of muscles and
consists of strands of densely grouped
collagen fibers.
• Loose connective tissue has fat and small
mixed glands between these strands.
• Fordyce spots – isolated sebaceous glands
In the cheek.

Buccal mucosa
FORDYCES
GRANULES
Lips
Vestibular fornix and alveolar mucosa
• Mucosa is thin and loosely
connected in fornix- so
necessary movements Of lips
and cheeks are possible .
• Gingiva and alveolar mucosa are
separated by Mucogingival
junction .
• Alveolar mucosa is thin ,non
keratinized, loosely attached to
periosteum, contains mixed
glands
Inferior surface of tongue and floor of oral
cavity
• Mucous membrane on the floor of
oral cavity is thin and loosely
attached to underlying structures
to allow free mobility of tongue.

• Epithelium is non keratinized

• Papillae of lamina propria are
short.
• Submucosa contains adipose
tissue&sublingual glands.
• Mucous membrane on inferior
surface of the tongue is smooth
and relatively thin

• NON KERATINISED.
• Papillae of connective tissue are
numerous and short.
Soft palate
• Highly vascularized and reddish
in color .
• Papillae are few and short .
• Non keratinized stratified
squamous epithelium.
• Lamina propria- elastic fibers.
• Mucous glands, taste buds seen.
 Specialized mucosa
• Dorsal lingual mucosa
• The superior surface of the
tongue is rough and irregular

• A V-shaped line divides it into an

anterior part, or body, and a
posterior part, or base
• Anterior part – papillary part.
• Posterior part – lymphatic
portion.
4 types of papillae
seen.

✓ Filiform papillae.
✓ Fungiform papillae.
✓ Circumvallate
papillae.
✓ Foliate papillae.
 Filiform papillae
• Filiform or thread shaped papillae
are epithelial structures
containing core of connective
tissue from which secondary
papillae protrude toward the
epithelium.
• Covering epithelium is keratinized
and form tufts at the apex of
dermal papilla.
• They do not have taste buds .
• This is the histological
appearance of filiform papillae.
Keratinization (A) occurs on the
tips of these papillae. Each
papilla has a core of connective
tissue (B).
 Fungiform papillae
• Interspersed between filiform
papillae are the isolated fungiform
(mushroom shaped papillae)–
round reddish prominences. 150 -
400 micrometer in diameter
• Epithelium may or may not be
keratinized

• Color is derived from a rich

capillary network visible through
the relatively thin epithelium.
• Presence of few (1-3) taste buds
found only on dorsal surface.
Circumvallate papillae
• In front of the dividing V shaped
terminal sulcus between the
body and base of tongue are 8 –
10 vallate papillae or
circumvallate papillae.
• Superior surface- keratinized epi
• Lateral surface -Non keratinized
epithelium
• On the lateral surface of the
vallate papillae, the epithelium
contains numerous taste buds.
• Ducts of small serous glands
called Von ebners glands open
into the trough.

• They may serve to wash out the

soluble elements of food and are
the main source of salivary
lipase.
On the lateral border of the posterior parts of the tongue, sharp parallel
clefts of varying length can often be observed. They are the foliate
(leaflike )papillae (non keratinized epithelium )and contain taste buds
Taste buds
• Taste buds are small ovoid or barrel shaped intraepithelial organs
about 80 micrometer high and 40 micrometer thick.
• In the center of the field is a
taste bud (A). It is composed of
two types of cells,
neuroepithelial and supporting
(sustentacular) cells. The
neuroepithelial cells
communicate with the free
surface of the mucosa by the
taste canal (B).
• Outer surface covered by few
flat epithelial cells, which
surround small opening the taste
pore.

• It leads into a narrow space lined

by supporting cells of taste bud.
• Outer supporting cells are like
staves of barrel.
• Inner and shorter ones are
spindle shaped .
• 10- 12 neuroepithelial cells are
present.
• Taste buds are numerous on inner wall of the trough surrounding the
vallate papillae,in the folds of the foliate papillae, on the posterior
surface of epiglottis and on fungiform papillae at the tip and lateral
borders of tongue.
• Type I DARK CELLS receptors are
nonexcitable cells that transduce salty
taste

• Type II LIGHT CELLS are excitable sensory

receptors. Their membranes contain
specific G protein–coupled receptors
(GPCRs) that mediate sweet, umami, and
bitter tastes, but they do not respond to
salty or sour tastants.

• Type III INTERMEDIATE cells, which are

also known as presynaptic cells, are the
only taste receptor cell class to synapse
with a sensory nerve. Type III cells sense
sour tastes.
• Type IV BASAL CELLS undifferentiated
precursors . Do not extend to taste pore
Gingival sulcus and Dentogingival junction

• Gingival sulcus
• Space between inner aspect of
gingiva and the tooth.

• continuous space present all

around the teeth.
• Sulcus extends from free gingival
margin to the Dentogingival
junction.
• Healthy state : depth of the
sulcus is approximately at the
free gingival groove on the outer
surface of the gingiva .

• Sulcular epithelium is non

keratinized.
• Lacks epithelial ridges and so
forms a smooth surface with
lamina propria.
• It is thinner than the epithelium
of gingiva.
• The sulcular epithelium
expresses CK4 which is typical of
lining epithelium .

• Average sulcus is 1.8- 2 mm.

• Deepens in pathologic condition-

periodontal diseases- >3mm -
PERIODONTAL POCKET.
Junctional epithelium
• Epithelium of gingiva that gets
attached to the tooth is called
JUNCTIONAL OR ATTACHMENT
EPITHELIUM.
• The union between this epithelium
and tooth is referred to as
EPITHELIAL ATTACHMENT

• Features
• It resembles reduced enamel
epithelium
• It’s a stratified squamous non
keratinizing epithelium.

• Epithelial collar that surrounds the

tooth. BOTTOM
OF GINGIVAL
• Extends from CEJ To bottom of gingival SULCUS
sulcus.
• It extends upto 2mm on tooth surface
.
CEJ
• Coronally:- 15- 30 layer thick.
• Apically:- 1-3 cells thick.
• Basal cell layer –cuboidal cells
• Superficial layer – flattened cells
• NO CORNEUM OR GRANULOSUM
LAYER
• Highest turn over rate of 5- 6
days

• Cytokeratins –CK5,14 and 19 are

expressed like in reduced
enamel epithelium .
Ultrastructure
IBL EBL
• They have fewer tonofilaments
and desmosomal junctions .
• Absence of keratohyaline
granules .

• Readily regenerates from

adjacent oral or sulcular
epithelium if its damaged
Functions
• 1. Highly permeable- large
intercellular spaces, so that
neutrophils pass easily .
• 2. Easy flow of GCF- gingival
crevicular fluid.
• 3.Plays a role in maintaining
integrity of dentogingival
junction
DENTOGINGIVAL JUNCTION
• Junction between the gingiva
and tooth- DENTOGINGIVAL
JUNCTION
• The oral epithelium , sulcular
epithelium and junctional
epithelium constitute the
Dentogingival junction
Development of Dentogingival junction
• Anatomic Crown and Clinical Crown
• Anatomic Crown is that part of a
tooth that has an enamel surface.
• The clinical crown is the part of
tooth that is visible in the oral
cavity.
• The clinical crown may be longer or
shorter than the anatomic crown.
Development of junctional epithelium and
Dentogingival junction
Shift of Dentogingival junction
 • In the first and second stages the clinical
crown is smaller than the anatomic
crown.

• With recession (third stage) the entire

enamel-covered part of the tooth is
exposed, and the clinical crown to the
anatomic crown is equal

• Later the clinical crown is larger than the

anatomic crown because parts of the
root have been exposed (fourth stage).
E- ENAMEL
AE- ATTACHMENT EPITHELIUM
C-CEMENTUM
X- BOTTOM OF GINGIVAL SULCUS
• FIRST STAGE

• The bottom of the gingival sulcus

remains (X) in the region of the
enamel-covered crown for some time
• Apical end of the attachment
epithelium( AE)(reduced enamel
epithelium) stays at the
cementoenamel junction (C).
• This relation persists in primary teeth
almost up to 1 year of age before
shedding and in permanent teeth,
usually to the age of 20 or 30 years
• Second stage.
• The bottom of the gingival
sulcus(X) is still on the enamel,
and the apical end of the
attachment epithelium (AE)has
shifted to the surface of the
cementum(C).
Biologic width
• The biological width is defined
as the dimension of the soft
tissue, which is attached to the
portion of the tooth coronal to
the crest of the alveolar bone.
• The natural seal that develops
around both, protecting the
alveolar bone from infection and
disease, is known as the biologic
width =2.04mm
• The biologic width is essential
for preservation of periodontal
health and removal of irritation
that might damage the
periodontium (prosthetic
restorations, for example)

(a) Histological sulcus (0.69 mm), (b) Epithelial attachment

(0.97 mm), (c) Connective tissue attachment (1.07 mm), (d)
Biologic width =2.04mm