The correct structure and physiological capabilities of all organs and tissues of a person's face determine not only he alth, but also appearance. What deviations can be in the development of the upper jaw, and what is this organ responsible for?
Features in the structure of the upper jaw
The upper jaw is a paired bone, which consists of a body and four processes. It is localized in the upper anterior part of the skull of the face, and is referred to as an air bone, due to the fact that it has a cavity lined with a mucous membrane.
There are the following processes of the upper jaw, which got their name from the location:
- frontal process;
- zygomatic process;
- alveolar process;
- palatine process.
Features of the structure of processes
Also, the body of the upper jaw has four surfaces: anterior, orbital, infratemporal and nasal.
The orbital surface is triangular in shape, smooth to the touch and slightly tilted forward - forms the wall of the orbit (orbit).
Anterior surface of the bodythe jaw is slightly curved, the orbital opening opens directly on it, below which the canine fossa is located.
The nasal surface is a complex formation in its structure. Has a maxillary cleft that leads to the maxillary sinus.
The zygomatic process also forms the upper jaw, the structure and function of which depend on the normal operation of all processes and surfaces.
Functions and Features
What processes in the body and skull can provoke pathological changes in the structure and function of bones?
The upper jaw is responsible for a number of processes:
- Participates in the act of chewing, distributes the load on the teeth of the upper jaw.
- Determines the correct location of all processes.
- Forms a cavity for the mouth and nose, as well as their partitions.
Pathological processes
The upper jaw, due to its structure and the presence of a sinus, is much lighter than the lower one, its volume is about 5 cm3, therefore the chance of injuring the bone increases.
The jaw itself is motionless due to the fact that it fuses tightly with the rest of the skull bones.
Among the possible pathological changes, a fracture of the jaw (upper or lower) is especially common. An injury to the upper jaw grows together much easier than the bones of the lower jaw, because, due to its structure and location, it does not move, which accelerates the regeneration of its bone tissue.
Except for all kinds of fractures and dislocations, when examined by a dentistit is possible to identify such a voluminous process as a cyst of the upper jaw, which requires surgical intervention to remove it.
There is a maxillary sinus on the body of the upper jaw, which, with improper dental treatment (and not only), can become inflamed and sinusitis occurs - another pathological process of the jaw.
Blood supply. Innervation
The blood supply to the upper jaw comes from the maxillary artery and its branches. The teeth of the alveolar process are innervated by the trigeminal nerve, and more specifically, by the maxillary branch.
In case of inflammation of the facial or trigeminal nerve, pain can spread to absolutely he althy teeth, which leads to a false diagnosis and sometimes even an erroneous extraction of a tooth in the upper jaw.
Cases of incorrect diagnosis are becoming more frequent, therefore, neglecting additional examination methods and relying only on the patient's subjective feelings, the doctor risks both the patient's he alth and his reputation.
Features of the teeth in the upper jaw
The upper jaw has a similar number of teeth to the lower. The teeth of the upper jaw, or rather their roots, have their own differences, which lie in their number and direction.
According to statistics, the wisdom tooth in the upper jaw erupts first and more often on the right side.
Since the bone of the upper jaw is much thinner than the lower one, the extraction of teeth has its own characteristics and a special technique. For this usedental tweezers for removing teeth in the upper jaw, which has another name - bayonet.
If the roots are removed incorrectly, a fracture can occur, therefore the upper jaw, the structure of which does not allow the application of force, needs additional diagnostic methods before surgical manipulations. Most often, for such purposes, an x-ray examination is performed - orthopantomography or computed tomography of the jaw body.
Surgical interventions
Why is it necessary to remove the upper jaw, and how to restore normal function after surgery?
The presented procedure in dentistry is known as maxillectomy.
Indications for surgery can be:
- Malignant neoplasms in the body of the upper jaw and its processes, as well as pathological growth of the tissues of the nose, paranasal sinuses and mouth.
- Benign neoplasms can also, with progressive development, become a reason for the removal of the body of the upper jaw.
The maxillectomy procedure also has a number of contraindications:
- General ailments of the patient, acute infectious diseases, specific diseases of the upper jaw in the acute stage and in the acute stage.
- With a significant spread of the pathological process, when the operation will not be a decisive step in the treatment of pathology, but will only burden the cancer patient.
Preoperative preparation of a cancer patient consists in a thorough preliminary examination,aimed at identifying other pathologies in the patient's body, as well as determining the localization of the pathological neoplasm.
Before diagnostic measures, a complete history is taken to determine the etiological factor and genetic predisposition.
Before any surgical procedures, it is also necessary to undergo a full examination by other specialists. This is, first of all, an oculist - to determine the condition of the eyes, their normal functioning and the possibility of complications after the operation.
The upper jaw has an eye fossa and nasal sinuses on its body, therefore their full examination is carried out before maxillectomy without fail.
In addition, before the operation, it is recommended to do a tomography of the head and neck, which improves the overall picture of the patient's condition and allows you to clearly see the localization of the tumor process.
During the operation, a complication may occur - a fracture of the jaw (upper) or, if the cut is incorrect, the facial nerve can be affected. Any complications can affect the development of a malignant formation, therefore, performing a maxillectomy is a risk for the condition of a cancer patient.
Birth defects
The upper jaw can be damaged even in the prenatal period, which leads to congenital malformations of the jaw and the entire face.
What can cause her pathological development before birth?
- Genetic predisposition. preventthis is not possible, but with proper orthodontic and orthopedic treatment after birth, congenital deformities can be corrected and the normal functioning of the upper jaw can be restored.
- Injuries during childbearing can change the physiological course of pregnancy and provoke pathological changes, which are most susceptible to the upper jaw. Also, bad habits of the mother and the use of certain drugs during pregnancy can be decisive factors in the occurrence of congenital pathology.
Types of pathologies
Among the main pathological processes affecting the development of the jaw, there are:
- Hereditary anomalies (anomalies that occur during the period of embryonic development of the fetus) - unilateral or bilateral cleft face, microgenia, complete or partial adentia (absence of teeth), underdevelopment of the nose and its sinuses, and others.
- Deformations of the apparatus of the dentition, which originate in the development of the jaw under the influence of various adverse factors: endogenous or exogenous.
- Secondary processes of deformation of the dentition, which occur as a result of a traumatic effect on the organs of the facial skull, as well as due to irrational surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy for cancer.
Anomalies of the teeth. Adentia
The most common pathologies of the teeth in the upper jaw can be called adentia, which, depending on the cause, is partial (missing several teeth) and complete(missing all teeth).
It is also sometimes possible to observe distal movement of the incisors with the formation of a false diastema.
To diagnose the presented pathology, an X-ray examination (orthopantomography) is used, which most accurately shows the location and cause of the pathology.
Deformation of the jaw with supernumerary teeth is a possible outcome of a pathological process that begins even in the intrauterine development of the fetus. What can be caused by having extra teeth that don't perform any function during chewing?
The presence of supernumerary teeth in the alveolar process of the upper jaw can provoke its deformation. This causes excessive growth of the alveolar process, which negatively affects not only the correct position of the teeth, but also the physiological development of the upper jaw.
Prevention of anomalies and damage to the jaw
It is especially important to monitor the development of the jaw system from an early age, undergo regular examinations at the dentist and treat all oral pathologies.
If a child has obvious anomalies in the location or growth of teeth, you should immediately undergo a comprehensive examination, and not only at the dentist, but also at the endocrinologist, neuropathologist. Sometimes anomalies in the development of the jaw are associated with a violation of the general condition of the body.
Congenital anomalies are treated by such a branch of dentistry as orthodontics, which studies the normal functioning of the organs of the oral cavity, and also diagnoses andcorrect pathological deviations from the norm. Treatment is best done at an early age, so it is not worth delaying a visit to the dentist until all the teeth have erupted or the jaw is completely destroyed.
Oral he alth is a guarantee of the normal functioning of the digestive and respiratory systems, as well as a guarantee of the mental he alth of the child and his normal development. The psychological factor in this matter plays an important role, since a person's face is his calling card. Launched deformations that disfigure the appearance leave an imprint on the psycho-emotional state and form many fears and phobias, up to a sociopathic state.
Proper nutrition, eating solid food, rational hygiene and sanitation are the key to the he althy development of the upper jaw and all organs of the oral cavity.
