sensation, but are usually painless. As
the tumour grows, it may develop into
or a deep fissure, which may
bleed and erode surrounding tissue.
Diagnosis is based on a
ment consists of surgery,
or both. Extensive surgery may cause
facial disfigurement and problems with
eating and speaking, which may require
sometimes damages the salivary glands
When mouth cancer is detected and
treated early, the outlook is good.
The result of inadequate
production of saliva. Dry mouth is usu-
ally a temporary condition caused by
fear, infection of a
Rarely, permanent dry mouth may
occur as part of
to treat mouth cancer.
Dryness usually causes difficulty in
swallowing and speaking, interference
with taste, and tooth decay (see
). It may be relieved by spraying the
inside of the mouth with artificial saliva.
An open sore caused by a
break in the
the mouth. The ulcers are white, grey, or
yellow spots with an inflamed border.
The most common types are aphthous
) and ulcers
caused by the
mouth ulcer may be an early stage of
and may need to be
investigated with a
if it fails to
heal within a month.
A solution for rinsing the
mouth. Many only leave the mouth feel-
ing fresh and remove loose food debris
from the teeth. Some, such as those con-
, can help to
clean the teeth if the gums are too tender
for proper toothbrushing, as in some
are effective against plaque
when routine dental hygiene is impossi-
prevent tooth decay (see
and a mouthwash of warm salt water
can help to ease painful inflammation
caused by tooth disorders. Antiseptic
mouthwashes intended to combat
are usually ineffective because they
do not treat the cause of the problem.
Bodily movements include
skeletal movements and movements of
soft tissues and body organs. All move-
ment is brought about by the actions of
muscles and may be voluntary, involun-
tary, or a
All voluntary skeletal movements are
initiated in the part of the cerebrum
(main mass of the
) called the
motor cortex. Signals are sent down the
along nerve fibres, and from
there along separate nerve fibres to the
appropriate muscles. Control relies on
information supplied by sensory nerve
, in the muscles and else-
where, that record the position of the
different parts of the body and the
amount of contraction in each muscle.
This information is integrated in spe-
cific regions of the brain (including the
) that con-
trol the coordination, initiation, and
cessation of movement.
Skeletal movements can also occur as
simple reflexes in response to certain
sensory warning signals; the movement
is automatic and less controlled, involv-
ing far fewer nerve connections.
Some body movements do not involve
the skeleton. For example, eye and
tongue movements are brought about
by contractions of muscles that are
attached to soft tissues. These move-
ments may be voluntary or reflex.
Movements of the internal organs are
involuntary; they include the
A form of treatment, often
used in conjunction with
in which a cone of wormwood leaves
(moxa) or certain other plant materials
is burned just above the skin to relieve
the treatment of
effects include nausea, diarrhoea, hot
flushes, headache, and dizziness.
The abbreviation for magnetic res-
onance imaging. MRI is a diagnostic
technique that produces cross-sectional
or 3-dimensional images of organs and
other body structures.