Anatomy of the Mouth: Part 1

Happy “Tooth-Day”!

Farah Flossit here, sending you all good vibes!:)

We rarely consider the anatomy of our mouths. I came across some interesting facts about the human tongue! This prompted me to dig a little deeper & really gather some detailed information regarding what parts make up our mouths & what the function is. Today my report will just cover information about the Human tongue because it really plays a big part of what goes on in the mouth.

© Fotosearch.com

Tongue Facts:

The average tongue is 4 inches long. The tongue consists of two parts: anterior and posterior. The anterior tongue is mostly visible & about two-thirds of the tongue’s total length. The posterior tongue sits near the back of the throat & measures the other third in length.

Your tongue aids in digestion & mouth cleaning. According to the National Center of Biotechnology Information (NCBI), the tongue initiates digestions by transferring food during mastication (the chewing process) & subsequently swallowing. It’s attached to the floor of the mouth by a fold known as the frenulum. The tip of the tongue, known as the apex, isn’t directly attached to the mouth floor, thus allowing it to reach the upper parts of the mouth for cleaning & speech.

You have 3,000 to 10,000 taste buds. Can you believe that the tongue has 3,000 to 10,000 taste buds? (www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/humanbody/tongue.html). Your tongue plays a crucial role in taste, & your sense of taste is governed by the tongue via the taste buds on the upper surface. These taste buds house the taste receptors, which register the different flavors in your food.

Tongues know 5 taste types. Five categories make up your taste perception: sweet, sour bitter, salty, & savory. Saliva is needed to moisten food before a tongue’s taste receptors can recognize it.

Bacteria on your tongue can cause bad breath. That taste doesn’t always go away at night. According to the American Breath Specialists, as many as 60 million people in the United States suffer from chronic bad breath, or halitosis. And as Jordan D. Davis, DDS (www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2014/04/a-deeper-look-into-tongue-cleaning.html) states, it can develop from bacteria collecting on the tongue. In order to negate this accumulation, soft-bristled toothbrushes like the Colgate 360 Sensitive Pro-Relief not only go easy on your teeth’s enamel, but contain a tongue cleaner on back of the brush head to scrape away bacteria.

Your tongue has eight muscles. The four intrinsic muscles aren’t attached to any bones, allowing the tongue to change shape. The four extrinsic muscles, however, are attached to bone, & allow your tongue to move in different directions, facilitating speech.

The tip of your tongue is very sensitive. According to the NCBI this allows it to perform 2 functions. First, it determines the “mechanical characteristic” of food. This is why a fish bone, for example, feels much larger than it actually is. Secondly, after you swallow a mouthful of food, your tongue searches the entire mouth for the remaining portions of the chewed pieces.

It can produce more than 90 words per minute. People rely on the tongue’s extreme agility & flexibility to speak. It works in conjunction with the lips & teeth to turn sounds from your vocal cords into syllables & words.

Tongues have defense cells. Your tongue has defense cells that comprise the lingual tonsil, as noted by the NCBI. Located in the back of the mouth at the tongue’s base, it is part of the lymphatic tonsillar ring. The palatine tonsils & the adenoids work with the lingual tonsil to guard the body against germs that enter through your mouth.

Tongues can grow bacteria nests. When most people think of their oral health, they focus on brushing, flossing & using mouthwash. But in many ways, the health of your tongue is just as important as that of your teeth. A tongue that doesn’t nest bacteria is key to preventing serious conditions such as gum disease & tooth decay, as well as lesser ailments such as bad breath. Though small in size, the human tongue is big on importance. It plays crucial roles in helping us taste, eat, digest, & speak. Now, that’s nothing to stick your tongue out at!

In light of today’s topic, below you will find some fun Holiday tongue twisters!:)

HOLIDAY TONGUE TWISTERS:

Ten tiny tin trains toot ten times
Seven Santas sang silly songs
Santa’s seven sleighs slid sideways
Tiny Tim trims tall trees with tinsel
Santa’s sleigh slides on slick snow
Bobby brings bright bells
Silly smelly snowman slips and slides
How many deer would a reindeer reign if a reindeer could reigh deer?
Running reindeer romp round red wreaths
Santa Clause’s cloak closes tightly
Santa sang seven songs
Kris Kringle climbs Christmas chimneys
Chilly chipper children cheerfully chant
Rudolph runs rings ’round Rover
Eleven elves licked eleven little licorice lollipops
Santa’s sleigh glides in the sky
Santa stuffs Stephie’s striped stocking
There’s chimney soot on Santa’s suit
Comet cuddles cute Christmas kittens carefully
Kris Kringle clapped crisply
Santa’s short suit shrunk
Eight elves eagerly ate everything
Crazy kids clamor candy canes and Christmas cookies

Thank you for tuning in on today’s Happy “Tooth-Day’s” report!

I look forward to chatting with you all next week!

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Your Friend,

Farah Flossit (Special Agent Flossit)