mouth-rectal

• Oral Cavity

  Mouth, beginning of digestive tract, serves as airway for respiratory tract
• Structures of the oral cavity

  • Lips
  • Palates (hard & soft)
  • Uvula
  • Cheeks
  • Tongue & its muscles
  • Mandible

  
• Tongue

  • Mass of muscles attached to hyoid bone and styloid process of temporal bone, assists with moving food, swallowing and speaking
  • Papillae - small bumps covering the dorsal surface where taste buds are scattered, carrying sensory impulses to the brain

  
• Structures in the oral cavity

  • Gums (gingiva)
  • Teeth
  • Salivary Glands

  
• Salivary Glands

  Secrete saliva, a watery serous fluid containing salts, mucus, salivary amylase that helps break down and lubricate food, amylase digests carbohydrates
• Types of salivary glands

  • Parotid Glands
  • Submandibular Glands
  • Sublingual Glands
• Risk Reduction Tips for Oral Cancer

  • Stop smoking
  • Limit alcohol consumption
  • Balanced diet
  • Precautionary measures at workplace
  • Regular oral hygiene
  • Avoid exposure to UV light
  • Avoid source of oral irritation
• Lips

  • Candidiasis - yeast infection, dry and cracked lips
  • Swelled lips - can be caused by allergy or insect bite
  • Burning Lips - caused by peeling/biting the skin of lips
  • Bluish Oral mucosa - generalized oral cyanosis

  
• Teeth

  • Occlusion - Alignment of the upper and lower teeth
  • Eruption - Cutting of teeth through gums
  • Hutchinson Teeth - shark teeth caused by congenital syphilis
  • Talon cusps - elevation in the back of the teeth, common in people exposed to cold weather

  
• Halitosis

  Bad breath, may be present in people with constipation
• Koplik Spots

  Considered a diagnostic feature of measles, often identified before the onset of rash
• Wharton Ducts

  Submandibular gland, lingual frenulum, production of saliva
• Stenson Ducts

  Parotid gland
• Gums

  • Hyperplasia - enlargement of the gingiva
  • Black Gums - blue-black line in gums
• Tongue

  • The color of the tongue can affect and exaggerate the taste of food
  • Cranial Nerve XII (Hypoglossal) - strength of the tongue
  • Ageusia - loss of sense of taste
  • Bulimia - loss of appetite
  • Macroglosia - very large tongue, can be linked to conditions like Beckwith Wiedemann Syndrome/Down Syndrome
  • Ankyloglosia - tongue-tie, unusually short, thick or tight band of tissue (lingual frenulum)

  
• Types of sores/lesions in the mouth

  • Cold Sore - located at the lips, sexually transmitted
  • Canker Sore - located at the deeper part of the lips, not contagious
• Subjective data to collect

  • Past History/History of present condition
  • Family History
  • Lifestyle and Health Practices (smoking & alcohol)
  • Last dental exam
• Objective data to collect

  • Inspect the moisture and color of the lips
  • Inspect number, shape, color, and occlusion of the teeth
  • Inspect the mouth (odor, lesions, spots)
  • Inspect the gums
  • Inspect the color, strength, ability to taste texture and consistency, size and shape, of the tongue

  
• Throat (Pharynx)

  Muscular passage for food and air, behind the mouth and nose, divided into nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx
• Structures in the throat

  • Arches - formed by the soft palate, anterior and posterior, and uvula connected behind the tongue
  • Tonsils - masses of lymphoid tissue that help protect against infections (palatine, lingual, pharyngeal)
• Dysphagia

  Difficulty in swallowing, can be oropharyngeal, esophageal, functional, or neuromuscular
• Odynophagia

  Painful swallowing
• Aspiration Pneumonia

  Inspiration of lungs related to ingestion of food and air, can be treated but can eventually cause arrest if not taken care of
• Sore Throat

  Pain, itchiness or irritation of the throat, hoarseness may be present
• Strep Throat

  Bacterial infection that can cause the throat to feel sore and scratchy
• Hoarseness of voice

  Condition marked by changes in the pitch or quality of the voice which may sound weak, scratchy or husky, abnormal if more than 2 weeks
• Causes of difficulty swallowing

  • GERD
  • Achalasia
  • Muscle Spasm
  • Esophageal Cancer
  • Scleroderma
  • Esophageal Stricture
• Uvula

  • Considered as the traffic light of food
  • Bifid Uvula - a splitting line in the uvula is present
• Tonsils

  • Part of the immune system, filter the microorganisms we orally inhale
  • Tonsillectomy - removal of tonsils
  • Tonsillitis - inflammation of tonsils
• Torus Palatinus

  Bony growth on the roof of the mouth
• Strep Throat

  Bacterial infection that can cause your throat to feel sore and scratchy
• Hoarseness of voice

  Condition marked by changes in the pitch or quality of the voice which may sound weak, scratchy or husky
• Hoarseness of voice is abnormal if more than 2 weeks
• Causes of Difficulty Swallowing

  • GERD
  • Achalasia
  • Muscle Spasm
  • Esophageal Cancer
  • Scleroderma
  • Esophageal Stricture
• Achalasia

  Stenosis ("constriction) is present

  
• Scleroderma

  Lack peristaltic movements
• Esophageal Stricture

  Opening of esophagus (diameter) is smaller than normal
• Uvula

  Considered as the traffic light of food
• Bifid Uvula

  A splitting line in the uvula is present
• Tonsils

  Part of immune system, filter the microorganisms we orally inhaled