MEDICAL BIOLOGY, HUMAN ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY - Y.I. Fedoniuk 2010

ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY, PATHOLOGY

CHAPTER 7. THE NUTRITIONAL PROCESS AND ITS PATHOLOGY

PATHOLOGY OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

ORAL CAVITY PATHOLOGY

The Oral Cavity is the initial segment of the alimentary canal that comes into contact with food. It is exceptionally rich in receptors that respond to the physical properties and Chemical composition of food products. These receptors serve as a source of Reflexes that not only regulate Digestion within the oral cavity but also influence the Functions of lower segments of the Digestive System.

In the oral cavity, food is chewed by the Teeth and moistened with saliva. Masticatory disorders arise due to dental damage or loss, dysfunction of the masticatory Muscles or temporomandibular joints, or Diseases of the oral mucosa. The primary causes of tooth damage or loss are dental caries and periodontitis.

Dental caries is a pathological process characterized by the progressive destruction of hard dental Tissues (enamel and dentin), resulting in The formation of a cavitary defect. The prevalence of dental caries in certain Regions of the world reaches 100 %.

Periodontitis affects 30-50 % of people worldwide over the age of 30. It is an inflammatory-dystrophic process affecting the periodontal tissues (i.e., the tissues surrounding the tooth ROOT—the periodontium, the alveolar bone, the gingiva, and the periosteum). Manifestations of periodontitis include alveolar bone resorption, pus discharge from the gingival pockets, and the loosening and loss of teeth.

Dysfunction of the Salivary Glands also causes disorders in oral food Processing. Increased salivation—hypersalivation—occurs As a result of inflammation of the oral mucosa (stomatitis, gingivitis). Pathological processes in the teeth can reflexively influence saliva production. Hypersalivation may accompany digestive disorders, as well as vomiting and Pregnancy, and can be triggered by organophosphates and chemical warfare agents. Decreased salivary secretion—hyposalivation—occurs during infectious diseases and febrile states, dehydration, under METABOLISM/18.html">The Influence of atropine, and in connection with inflammatory processes in the salivary glands. Hyposalivation impairs mastication and swallowing, promotes inflammatory processes in the oral mucosa, facilitates infection penetration into the salivary glands, and contributes to The Development of dental caries.