Oral cavity, tongue and teeth !
- Organ
The mouth is lined by a tough layered skin-like tissue; the tongue is muscle covered with papillae, and teeth are built of enamel, dentin and pulp.
Updated 2026-11-01
See it in 3D: Tongue
What it is
The oral mucosa is stratified squamous epithelium, keratinized where chewing rubs (gums, hard palate, back of the tongue) and non-keratinized elsewhere. The tongue is a block of skeletal muscle running in three directions, with papillae on its upper surface, some carrying taste buds. Teeth have a mineral crown of enamel over dentin around a living pulp. Caries, oral candidiasis and leukoplakia are read against this normal histology.
Key facts
- Enamel is made by ameloblasts, which disappear when the tooth erupts, so enamel cannot regrow.
- Dentin is made by odontoblasts lining the pulp, which keep producing it throughout life.
- Enamel is the hardest substance in the body.
Structure
- Lining mucosa (cheeks, lips, floor of the mouth, underside of the tongue): non-keratinized stratified squamous.
- Masticatory mucosa (gingiva, hard palate): keratinized or parakeratinized stratified squamous.
- Tongue: skeletal muscle fibres in three planes, with fat and minor salivary glands between them.
- Tooth: enamel over the crown, dentin forming the bulk, pulp with vessels and nerves, cementum covering the root, and the periodontal ligament anchoring it in the alveolar bone.
Lingual papillae
| Papilla | Where | Look | Taste buds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filiform | All over the front two thirds | Thin, pointed, keratinized; the most numerous | No |
| Fungiform | Scattered, more at the tip and edges | Mushroom-shaped, red dots | Yes, on the top surface |
| Circumvallate | One V-shaped row in front of the sulcus terminalis | Large, sunk in a trench; serous (von Ebner) glands drain into the trench | Yes, in the trench walls |
| Foliate | Back of the lateral edges | Parallel folds; small in adults | Yes |
Clinical notes
- Dental caries: acids from bacterial plaque (viridans-group streptococci such as Streptococcus mutans) dissolve enamel, then dentin.
- Oral candidiasis: white plaques that scrape off, common in infants, people using inhaled steroids and immunosuppressed patients.
- Leukoplakia: a white patch that does not scrape off; biopsy looks for dysplasia because it can precede squamous cell carcinoma.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Which lingual papillae are the most numerous and lack taste buds?
Filiform papillae; they are keratinized and make the surface rough for handling food.
Why can enamel not repair itself after caries?
The ameloblasts that made it are lost when the tooth erupts, so there are no cells left to lay down new enamel.
What kind of epithelium covers the hard palate?
Keratinized stratified squamous epithelium, part of the masticatory mucosa that resists friction.
See it in 3D
The structures of Durgical's 3D anatomy where it is found.
Related
- Salivary glands: serous and mucous acini
- Esophagus and the Barrett change
- Simple, stratified, pseudostratified and transitional epithelium
Related conditions
Microorganisms
Educational content on normal microscopic structure and its clinical relevance; no substitute for studying slides or for a health professional's advice.
Sources: 23.3 The Mouth, Pharynx, and Esophagus - Anatomy and Physiology 2e | OpenStax (OpenStax (Rice University), 2022); 23.1 Overview of the Digestive System - Anatomy and Physiology 2e | OpenStax (OpenStax (Rice University), 2022).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.