<P> Tooth condition indicates a person's general health . Teeth should be clean with no decay, white with shiny enamel and smooth surfaces and edges . Adults should have a total of 32 teeth (16 teeth in each arch). By the age of ​ 2 ⁄, children have a total of 20 deciduous teeth (10 in each arch). Abnormal findings are missing, loose, broken and misaligned teeth . Diseases of the teeth include baby - bottle tooth decay, epulis, meth mouth and Hutchinson's teeth . </P> <P> To assess the gums, a tongue depressor gently retracts the cheek to allow inspection of the upper and lower gums . They should appear symmetrical, moist and pinkish, with well - defined margins . Dark - skinned people may have a melanotic line along the gum margin . Abnormal findings include swelling, cyanosis, paleness, dryness, sponginess, bleeding or discoloration . Diseases include leukoplakia, epulis, gingival hyperplasia, gingivitis, periodontitis and aphthous ulcer (canker sore). </P> <P> To check the oral mucosa, the patient's cheek is exposed with a tongue depressor and the tissues inspected with a penlight . Healthy tissue appears moist, smooth, shiny and pink . Stensen's duct is opposite the second molar . Abnormal findings include dryness, cyanosis, paleness and Fordyce spots, and signs of disease include canker sores, Koplik's spots (an early indication of measles), candidiasis and leukoplakia . </P> <P> The patient tilts their head back and opens their mouth for the hard - palate assessment . Visual inspection with a penlight shows a healthy palate as whitish in color, with a firm texture and irregular transverse rugae . Abnormal findings include yellowness or extreme pallor, and diseases include torus palatinus, cleft palate, submucous cleft palate, High - arched palate, Kaposi's sarcoma and leukoplakia . </P>

The expected appearance of the oral mucosa is