Oral Cavity 16

Here, at higher magnification is the region labeled "1" in Oral Cavity 15. The upper half of the field is occupied by demineralized dentin (seen to better detail in Oral Cavity 17). The lower half of the field shows details of the gum and the alveolar bone into which the tooth anchors. The epithelium of the oral cavity (E) is characteristically tall, usually keratinized, and has deep papillary insertions into the underlying connective tissue (CT) where it forms the gingiva. The alveolar bone (B) is separated from the tooth, and connected to it, by the periodontal ligament (PL): details of the PL are NOT well seen here and it is not possible to distinguish the fibers of the PL that run from the bone to the cementum covering the root of the tooth. The row of asterisks (***) indicates where enamel (extracted during the demineralizing process) would have been found covering the lateral surfaces of the tooth down to its point of insertion into the jaw.

Slide N-8, field P33/34 - Q33/34 of finder slide B, 2.5X objective