Throat - Anatomy

Note that the lips are normally smooth, pinkish, and glistening. With excessive dryness or dehydration fissures can appear. The buccal mucosa should be glistening, appear moist, and be smooth without lesions. Occasionally you will see a small white line, or "bite line" where the buccal mucosa has been caught between the teeth. The dorsum of the tongue is somewhat roughened with papillae but should be free of nodules or lesions. A tongue that appears very smooth and glistening is abnormal. There is a large range of normal sizes for tonsils. Generally however with age the tonsils tend to atrophy and can be hard at times to identify.

Click on the interactive icon to review the anatomy of the oral cavity.