A person’s oral anatomy includes all of the features inside the mouth, including the teeth, gingiva (gums), lips, tongue, uvula (dangling sac-like structure in the middle of the throat), palate, jaw bones and tonsils. The mouth and teeth work together to begin the process of digesting food.

The mouth is the entrance to the digestive tract, and it is lined with mucous membranes. The uvula is flanked on both sides by the tonsils at the opening to the throat (pharynx).

On the floor of the mouth is a bundle of muscles that form the tongue. The lips are covered with skin on the outside and mucous membranes on the inside. The inside portion of the lips and cheeks form a trough which connects to the gums (vestibule).

There are several types of permanent teeth, including incisors, canines, premolars and molars. Each tooth is made up of one part that can be seen above the gumline – the anatomical crown – and several other parts that are not visible to the naked eye. Below the crown is the root, which is the part of the tooth that pushes into the upper (maxilla) or lower (mandible) jawbone.

Each tooth is divided into several layers, including the enamel or cementum, dentin and pulp. Just beneath the enamel (covering the crown) and the cementum (covering the root) is the dentin. This substance resembles bone and makes up most of a tooth’s structure. It is responsible for the tooth’s natural color.

The pulp is located beneath the dentin at the core of the tooth, and has blood vessels, nerves and connective tissue. The pulp is made up of two parts. The pulp chamber is found in the crown of the tooth. The root canal is the part of the pulp located in the root of the tooth. The pulp chamber is continuous with the root canal.