Practice Quiz - Infratemporal Fossa & Oral Cavity
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  1. To drain an abscess (a closed collection of pus) affecting the cheek area, an emergency room physician used local anesthesia for the surgery. Which of the following nerves must be anesthetized because it carries pain sensation from the cheek area?
    buccal (V3)
    buccal (VII)
    inferior alveolar
    lingual
    mental
  2. A patient who experienced bilateral anterior dislocation of the jaw (temporomandibular joints) could not swallow or talk since the mouth was held open. What is the position of the condyles of the mandible as a result of the dislocation?
    against the external acoustic meatus
    against the anterior slope of the articular eminence
    against the posterior slope of the articular eminence
    in the mandibular fossa
    in the pterygoid fossa
  3. In reducing an ankylosis of the TMJ, a surgeon provoked an intense hemorrhage by lacerating the artery coursing transversely just medial to the neck of the condyle. Which artery was involved in the accident?
    Buccal
    External carotid
    Maxillary
    Middle meningeal
    Superficial temporal
  4. The muscle which separates the submandibular triangle from the paralingual space is the:
    Digastric, posterior belly
    Hyoglossus
    Mylohyoid
    Stylohyoid
    Styloglossus
  5. The predominant muscle most associated with retraction of the mandible is the:
    lateral pterygoid
    masseter
    medial pterygoid
    temporalis
    mylohyoid
  6. At the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), hinge movements occur between the:
    condyle and articular eminence
    articular disc and articular eminence
    condyle and articular disc
    articular disc and articular cavity
    condyle and articular cavity
  7. A 38-year-old patient complained of acute dental pain. The attending dentist found penetrating dental caries (dental decay) affecting one of the mandibular molar teeth. Which nerve would the dentist need to anesthetize to work on that tooth?
    Lingual
    Inferior alveolar
    Buccal
    Mental
    Mylohyoid
  8. Incapacity to protrude the mandible indicates a dysfunction of which muscle?
    Anterior belly of digastric
    Buccinator
    Lateral pterygoid
    Mylohyoid
    Temporalis
  9. Damage to the facial nerve near the stylomastoid foramen would likely cause each of the following motor deficits EXCEPT:
    Paralysis of the buccinator muscle
    Inability to whistle
    Paralysis of the muscles that elevate the mandible
    Inability to close the lips
  10. The lesser petrosal nerve carries preganglionic parasympathetic fibers to the:
    Geniculate ganglion
    Otic ganglion
    Submandibular ganglion
    Ciliary ganglion
  11. What bony feature of the mandible can be used to find and palpate the facial artery?
    Oblique line
    Mental trigone
    Angle
    Premasseteric notch
  12. Which of the following suprahyoid muscles would be paralyzed if the inferior alveolar nerve were severed at its origin?
    Geniohyoid m.
    Hyoglossus m.
    Mylohyoid m.
    Stylohyoid m.
  13. Which nerve is endangered during surgical removal of an impacted third mandibular molar tooth?
    Hypoglossal n.
    Glossopharyngeal n.
    Inferior alveolar n.
    Lingual n.
  14. After the mandibular condyle is moved forward onto the articular eminence (e.g., by opening the mouth widely), what muscle can then retract the mandible?
    Superficial head of masseter m.
    Deep head of masseter m.
    Posterior part of temporalis m.
    Anterior part of temporalis m.
  15. Two nerves usually emerge from between the two heads of the lateral pterygoid muscle: the anterior deep temporal nerve and the:
    Masseteric n.
    Buccal n.
    Lingual n.
    Inferior alveolar n.
  16. The chorda tympani enters the infratemporal fossa after it exits the:
    Stylomastoid foramen
    Foramen spinosum
    Foramen lacerum
    Petrotympanic fissure
  17. Paralysis of which of the following muscles would impede retraction of the mandible?
    Buccinator
    Lateral pterygoid, lower portion
    Lateral pterygoid, upper (sphenomeniscus) portion
    Medial pterygoid
    Temporalis
  18. A cranial fracture through the foramen ovale that compresses the enclosed nerve, will have an effect on all muscles EXCEPT :
    Tensor tympani
    Masseter
    Buccinator
    Mylohyoid
    Temporalis
  19. Which muscle is also known as the sphenomeniscus?
    Inferior head of the lateral pterygoid
    Masseter
    Medial pterygoid
    Superior head of the lateral pterygoid
    Temporalis
  20. Forward movement of the condyle of the mandible during wide opening of the jaws is accomplished mainly by the:
    anterior part of temporalis muscle
    lateral pterygoid muscle
    masseter muscle
    medial pterygoid muscle
    posterior part of the temporalis muscle
  21. To drill a mandibular tooth without causing undue pain, a dentist has injected an anesthetic into the space located between the medial pterygoid muscle and the mandible near the lingula. Given the nerves passing through the immediate vicinity of the injection site, where would one expect anesthesia in addition to the mandibular teeth?
    back of tongue
    external ear
    maxillary incisor teeth
    skin of chin
    upper lip
  22. The middle meningeal artery:
    enters the skull through the foramen ovale
    passes through a split in the trunk of the mandibular nerve (V3)
    is typically a branch of the second part of the maxillary artery
    supplies blood to the temporal lobe of the brain
    usually arises deep to the neck of the mandible
  23. The surgical removal of a metastatic tumor in the infratemporal fossa caused an intense hemorrhage. The surgeon clamped the main source of arterial supply to the area, which is the:
    Internal carotid
    Lingual
    Maxillary
    Posterior auricular
    Superficial temporal
  24. In acute inflammation (arthritis) of the TMJ, the muscle most likely to be affected by the inflammatory process is the:
    Temporal
    Medial pterygoid
    Masseter
    Lateral pterygoid
  25. In explaining the pain caused by the drilling of a mandibular molar tooth crown to a freshman medical student, a dentist identified the nerve conducting the pain sensations as the:
    Lingual
    Mylohyoid
    Inferior alveolar
    Buccal
  26. The temporomandibular joint is characterized by all EXCEPT:
    A capsule strengthened by ligaments on its lateral side only
    A completely flat surface for its gliding action
    An articular disc
    Extracapsular ligaments
    Two joint cavities of different shapes
  27. In dislocation of the jaw, displacement of the articular disc beyond the articular tubercle of the temporomandibular joint results from excessive contraction of which muscle?
    Buccinator
    Lateral pterygoid
    Medial pterygoid
    Masseter
    Temporalis
  28. Sympathetic fibers reach the tongue by way of the:
    lingual nerve
    maxillary artery
    hypoglossal nerve
    lingual artery
    glossopharyngeal nerve
  29. After a radiograph revealed a sialolith (stone) in a patient's right submandibular duct, the surgeon exposed the duct via an intraoral approach. In this approach, what tissues or structures must be cut through?
    Mucous membrane only
    Mucous membrane and genioglossus muscle
    Mucous membrane and mylohyoid muscle
    Mucous membrane and hyoglossus muscle
  30. Damage of the lingual nerve before it is joined by the chorda tympani in the infratemporal fossa would cause loss of:
    general sensation to the anterior two thirds of the tongue
    general sensation to the posterior one third of the tongue
    secretion of the submandibular gland
    taste sensation from the anterior two thirds of the tongue
    taste sensation from the posterior one third of the tongue
  31. The teeth and gums separate the oral cavity proper from the:
    Nasal cavity
    Oral vestibule
    Oropharynx
    Paralingual space
    Submandibular space
    Description for the following questions: Examination of a patient with an ulcerative carcinoma of the posterior third of the tongue revealed bleeding from the lesion and difficulty swallowing (dysphagia).
  32. The bleeding was seen to be arterial; which of the following arteries was involved?
    Deep lingual
    Dorsal lingual
    Facial
    Sublingual
    Tonsillar
  33. The difficulty in swallowing was due to involvement of which muscle that elevates the tongue?
    Genioglossus
    Hyoglossus
    Styloglossus
    Stylohyoid
    Stylopharyngeus
  34. Cutting of the hypoglossal nerve in the hypoglossal canal would not interrupt the nerve supply to the:
    Hyoglossus muscle
    Genioglossus muscle
    Palatoglossus muscle
    Styloglossus muscle
  35. The contents of the paralingual space do NOT include the:
    Hypoglossal nerve
    Lingual artery
    Lingual nerve
    Submandibular gland
    Sublingual gland
  36. A patient is unable to taste a piece of sugar placed on the anterior part of the tongue. Which cranial nerve is most likely to have a lesion?
    Facial nerve
    Glossopharyngeal nerve
    Hypoglossal nerve
    Trigeminal nerve
    Vagus nerve
  37. The chorda tympani contains which component before it joins the lingual nerve?
    Preganglionic sympathetics
    Postganglionic sympathetics
    Preganglionic parasympathetics
    Postganglionic parasympathetics
    Taste fibers to the posterior third of the tongue
  38. The cell bodies of the taste fibers from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue are located in the:
    Geniculate ganglion
    Otic ganglion
    Pterygopalatine ganglion
    Submandibular ganglion
    Trigeminal ganglion
  39. Which of the following structures is located in the vestibule of the oral cavity?
    Tongue
    Opening of the parotid duct
    Opening of the submandibular duct
    Sublingual fold
    Uvula
  40. When one presses the tongue tip against the anterior (incisor) teeth, which of the following muscles must contract?
    Styloglossus
    Hyoglossus
    Genioglossus
    Superior longitudinal
    Verticalis
  41. The muscle responsible for raising the floor of the mouth in the early stages of swallowing is the:
    genioglossus
    geniohyoid
    hyoglossus
    mylohyoid
    palatoglossus
  42. The cell bodies of the postganglionic parasympathetic neurons innervating the sublingual gland are found in which of the following ganglia?
    ciliary
    otic
    submandibular
    superior cervical
    trigeminal
  43. A 46-year-old female patient comes to the emergency department complaining of pain in the area just below her mandible on the right side of her face. She says that the pain is particularly severe when she eats. The area of the submandibular gland is tender and swollen, as is the area in the floor of her mouth lateral to the tongue. You suspect a stone in the submandibular duct, and a plain film radiograph shows a density in that region consistent with a stone. In order to remove the stone, the duct must be incised in the floor of the mouth. What nerve, that loops around the duct, is in danger in such an incision?
    Chorda Tympani
    Glossopharyngeal
    Hypoglossal
    Internal branch of the superior laryngeal
    Lingual
  44. In accessing the submandibular gland in the submandibular triangle, what vessel coursing through the gland and triangle would need to be protected?
    External jugular vein
    Facial artery
    Maxillary artery
    Retromandibular vein
    Superior thyroid artery
  45. All of the following may be found in the paralingual space EXCEPT:
    Hypoglossal nerve
    Lingual nerve
    Sublingual gland
    Submandibular gland duct
    Superficial lobe of the submandibular gland