Dental alveolus (plural,
alveoli) are sockets in the
jawThe jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of...
s in which the roots of teeth are held in the
alveolar process of maxillaThe alveolar process is the thickened ridge of bone that contains the tooth sockets on bones that bear teeth. It is also referred to as the alveolar bone. In humans, the tooth-bearing bones are the maxilla and the mandible...
with the
periodontal ligamentThe periodontal ligament, commonly abbreviated as the PDL is a group of specialized connective tissue fibers that essentially attach a tooth to the alveolar bone within which it sits...
. The lay term for dental alveoli is
tooth sockets. A
jointA joint is the location at which two or more bones make contact. They are constructed to allow movement and provide mechanical support, and are classified structurally and functionally.-Classification:...
that connect the roots of the teeth and the alveolus are called
gomphosisGomphosis is a joint that binds the teeth to bony sockets in the maxillary bone and mandible. The fibrous connection between a tooth and its socket is a periodontal ligament...
(plural gomphoses).
Discussion
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Dental alveolus (plural,
alveoli) are sockets in the
jawThe jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of...
s in which the roots of teeth are held in the
alveolar process of maxillaThe alveolar process is the thickened ridge of bone that contains the tooth sockets on bones that bear teeth. It is also referred to as the alveolar bone. In humans, the tooth-bearing bones are the maxilla and the mandible...
with the
periodontal ligamentThe periodontal ligament, commonly abbreviated as the PDL is a group of specialized connective tissue fibers that essentially attach a tooth to the alveolar bone within which it sits...
. The lay term for dental alveoli is
tooth sockets. A
jointA joint is the location at which two or more bones make contact. They are constructed to allow movement and provide mechanical support, and are classified structurally and functionally.-Classification:...
that connect the roots of the teeth and the alveolus are called
gomphosisGomphosis is a joint that binds the teeth to bony sockets in the maxillary bone and mandible. The fibrous connection between a tooth and its socket is a periodontal ligament...
(plural gomphoses).
In
mammalMammals are a class of vertebrate animals whose females are characterized by the possession of mammary glands while both males and females are characterized by sweat glands, hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in the brain.Mammals are divided into three main...
s, tooth sockets are found in the
maxillaThe maxilla is a fusion of two bones along the palatal fissure that form the upper jaw. This is similar to the mandible , which is also a fusion of two halves at the mental symphysis. Sometimes , the maxilla is sometimes called "upper maxilla", with the mandible being the "lower maxilla"...
, the
premaxillaThe incisive bone is the portion of the maxilla adjacent to the incisors. It is a pair of small cranial bones at the very tip of the jaws of many animals, usually bearing teeth, but not always. They are connected to the maxilla and the nasals....
and the
mandibleThe mandible or inferior maxillary bone forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. It also refers to both the upper and lower sections of the beaks of birds; in this case the "lower mandible" corresponds to the mandible of humans while the "upper mandible" is functionally equivalent...
.
Pathology
The swelling of the dental alveoli can result in
alveolitisAlveolitis can refer to two inflammatory conditions. It can refer to inflammation of the alveoli in the lungs, or the dental alveolus in the jaw.Alveolus in the jaw is also known as dry socket...
, causing pain and discomfort to the mouth.