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mouth (mouth) an opening or aperture. the oral cavity, which forms the beginning of the digestive system and in which the chewing of food takes place. The mouth is also the site of the organs of taste and of the teeth, tongue, and lips. It is not only the entrance to the body for food and sometimes air, but also a major organ of speech and emotional expression. Except for the teeth, the interior of the mouth is covered with mucous membrane, a thin lining that continues out from the front of the mouth to form the lips. Salivary glands lie above and below the mouth and produce saliva, a liquid that protects the delicate membranes and mixes with food in the first step of digestion of food. The palate forms the roof of the mouth, with a rigid hard palate in front and a more fleshy soft palate at the back. In the middle of the soft palate is the uvula, a projection pointing down to the tongue. At the root of the tongue, below the uvula, lies the epiglottis. denture sore mouth
denture stomatitis. trench mouth
former name for necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis.
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