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Oral Surgery · single question

Which structure in the oral cavity is UNIQUE in having NO minor salivary glands?

  1. Floor of mouth
  2. Buccal mucosa
  3. Soft palate
  4. Attached gingiva (firmly bound, lacks submucosal layer where salivary glands reside)
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Correct answer: D. Attached gingiva (firmly bound, lacks submucosal layer where salivary glands reside)

  • A. The floor of the mouth has sublingual gland ducts opening there, plus minor salivary glands.
  • B. Buccal mucosa has abundant minor salivary glands in the submucosa.
  • C. The soft palate has numerous minor salivary glands (the most concentration of minor salivary glands in the oral cavity).
  • D. Correct. The ATTACHED GINGIVA is densely bound to the periosteum with NO submucosal layer — minor salivary glands require a submucosal connective tissue layer to reside in. Therefore, the attached gingiva is the ONLY oral mucosal location that completely LACKS minor salivary glands. This is clinically relevant because mucocoeles and minor salivary gland tumors DO NOT occur in the attached gingiva.

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