A swollen parotid gland may occur for a number of reasons, which may be linked to inflammation of the gland (parotitis) with or without infection, blockage of the duct, chemical toxicity or growths in the parotid gland. Swelling may therefore present with pain and impaired functioning, or at times there may be no other >> Read More ...
Persistent taste sensations after eating are more often due to foods consumed during the meal. Remnants of food particles adhere to the surface of the tongue, palate, between the teeth and crevices of the oral cavity due to chewing and swallowing. When these food particles mix with saliva in the mouth, it may activate the >> Read More ...
The sense of taste can detect four primary tastes – sour, sweet, bitter and salty. A fifth taste sensation known as unami can be associated with savory tastes. Most of the time, the taste sensations are triggered by different foods and drinks, however, in some cases a taste may be detectable despite not eating or >> Read More ...
What is Glossitis? Glossitis is the medical term for inflammation of the tongue. It generally implies a swollen, red and often painful tongue as these are common features of the inflammation process. However the term glossitis may also be used to refer to a red tongue, even without swelling, as may be seen in atrophic >> Read More ...
The palate is the roof of the mouth that separates the oral and nasal cavities as well as the nasopharynx. It is arched and lined with oral mucosa, which has mucus producing glands on it known as the palatine glands. There are two parts to the palate – hard and soft. The hard palate lies more anteriorly (in front) >> Read More ...
Dysgeusia is a broad term to describe any disturbance of the sense of taste. This may include : Ageusia : total loss of taste Hypogeusia : diminished taste sensitivity Parageusia : taste with no stimuli present Cacogeusia : foul taste sensations (causes discussed under Bad Taste in Mouth) is a type of parageusia. >> Read More ...
What are the taste buds? The taste buds are the functional unit of the sense of taste. It is stimulated by certain chemicals in food and relays signals to the brain where it is perceived as the five taste sensations – sweet, salty, sour, bitter and . Odor (smell) and the texture of food can also alter the sense of >> Read More ...
The human tongue is a muscular organ that is covered by a thin mucous membrane. It lies partly in the mouth cavity and partly in the oropharynx. It is highly mobile and can be shifted into a number of different positions and also assume various shapes. The tongue’s primary function is often seen as that of being the >> Read More ...
The three pairs of major salivary glands (parotid, submandibular and sublingual) are located on either side of the mouth. All of these glands produce saliva and secrete it into the mouth cavity via the salivary gland. This accounts for the majority of the saliva in the mouth. Many smaller accessory glands in the lining of >> Read More ...