Muscles of Mastication
Dr. C. Udeani
Mastication
○ Rhythmic opposition and separation of jaws with the
involvement of teeth ,lips ,cheeks and tongue for
chewing of food in order to prepare it for swallowing
and digestion.
○ Main purpose of mastication is to reduce the size of
food particles to a size that is convenient for
swallowing (bolus formation) with the help of saliva.
Muscles of Mastication
○
The muscles which are required for mastication are known as
the muscles of mastication, These muscles help mainly in the
movement of the mandible and not the maxilla as maxilla is an
integral part of the skull and the mandible being the only
movable bone in the skull.
○ There are many muscles which help in the process of
mastication but the main muscles which take part in the
process ar
Primary Muscles of Mastication
❏ Masseter
❏ Temporalis
❏ Lateral pterygoid
❏ Medial pterygoid
Secondary Muscles of Mastication
❏ Suprahyoid
❏ Digastric
❏ Stylohyoid
❏ Mylohyoid
❏ Geniohyoid
❏ Infrahyoid
❏ Stenohyoid
❏ Thyrohyoid
❏ Omohyoid
These muscles attached to the mandible are responsible for
❏ Elevating
❏ Depressing
❏ Lateral movement
❏ retruding
they are functionally classified as
Jaw elevator
1. Masseter
2. Medial pterigoid
3. Temporalis
• Jaw depresser
4. Lateral pterigoid
5. Digastric
6. Geniohyoid
Development of muscles of mastication
○ The muscular system develops from intra embryonic mesoderm
○ Muscle tissues develop from embryonic cells called myoblast.
○ Muscular component of Branchial arch form many striated
muscles in the head and neck region.
○ Muscles of mastication are derived from first brachial arch that is
the MANDIBULAR ARCH
Masseter
The masseter is a thick, somewhat
quadrilateral muscle, consisting of two parts,
superficial and deep. The fibers of the two
portions are continuous at their insertion. The
masseter muscle is sometimes the target of
plastic jaw reduction surgery.
origin:from the zygomatic arch
insertion: along the angle and lateral surface
of the mandibular ramus.
action:The masseter is primarily responsible
for the elevation of the mandible and some
protraction of the mandible.
cont
• Artery Supply :masseteric artery
● Nerve supply: mandibular nerve (V3)
Clinical Importance of Masseter Muscle of mastication
Masseter muscle can be palpated both intraorally and extraorally
○ The masseter muscle is sometimes the target of plastic jaw reduction surgery.
○ The muscle that commonly undergoes Hypertrophy in Bruxism is Masseter
○ Because of the Multipennate arrangement of fibers masseter is a very powerful
muscle
Temporalis
○ The temporal muscle, also known as
the temporalis, is one of the muscles of
mastication. It covers much of the
temporal bone
○ The temporal muscle is covered by the
temporal fascia, also known as the
temporal aponeurosis.
○ The muscle is accessible on the
temples, and can be seen and felt
contracting while the jaw is clenching
and unclenching
cont’d
○ Origin and Insertion: From the Parietal bone of the skull and is
inserted on the coronoid process of the mandible.
○ Arterial supply: The Deep Temporal artery supplies the large
muscle.
○ Nerve Supply: Trigeminal nerve this nerve has been associated
with being the cause of Headache and migrane.
○ Embryology :The temporalis is derived from the first pharyngeal
arch in development.
Action
○ Elevation of the mandible
○ Retraction of the mandible.
○ Crushing of food between the molars.
○ Posterior fibers draw the mandible backwards after it has been protruded.
○ It is also a contributor to side to side grinding movement.
Clinical Importance
Temporalis Muscle: Sudden contraction of temporalis
muscle will result in coronoid fracture, which is rare.
Lateral pterygoid
○ It is a short thick muscle with two
parts or head
○ UPPER head arise from infratemporal
surface and infratemporal crest of
greater wing of sphenoid bone
○ LOWER head arise from lateral
surface of lateral pterygoid plate.
○ Its fibers pass backwards and
laterally to be inserted into a
depression (pterygoid fovea) on the
front of the neck of the mandible and
into the articular capsule and disc of
the temporomandibular articulation
cont’d
BLOOD SUPPLY Pterygoid branch of 2nd part of maxillary artery
NERVE SUPPLY Nerve to lateral pterigoid branch anterior division of trigiminal nerve
Action: Assists in opening the mouth with suprahyoid muscles.
○ Right lateral pterygoid and right medial pterygoid turns the chin to left side as a part of grinding
movement.
○ When the medial and lateral pterygoids of two sides act together they protrude the mandible so
that the lower incisors project in front of the other.
○ The upper (superior) head being involved in chewing
Note: The combinded efforts of the Digastrics and Lateral Pterygoids provide for
natural jaw opening.
Medial and lateral pterygoid act together to protrude the mandible
Medial pterygoid
Is a thick muscle of mastication
○ It Arises lateral pterygoid plate, and from the
maxillary tuberosity.
○ Insertion is seen on the Medial angle of the
Mandible
○ NERVE SUPPLY • Branch of the main
trunk of the mandibular nerve.
○ BLOOD SUPPLY • Pterygoid branch of 2nd
part of maxillary artery
○ ACTION: elevates the mandible, closes the
jaw, helps in side to side mov’t
○ CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Trismus following
inferior alveolar nerve block is mostly due to
involvement of medial pterygoid muscle
The 4 primary muscles of mastication are in turn supported or supplemented by few secondary muscles
known as SUPRAHYOID GROUP of muscles they are
○ DIGASTRIC
○ MYLOHYOID
○ GENIOHYOID
Digastric muscle
○ Two bellies united by tendon
○ The muscle has secondary role in mastication
as a depressor muscle adding to the action
of lateral pterygoid muscle when mouth is to
be opened against resistance
Mylohyoid muscle
○ Flat triangular
○ The secondary role of this muscle is
evident as a depressor seen in action
when mouth is to be opened against
resistance.
○ It elevates the floor of mouth to help in
deglutition.
Geniohyoid muscle
○ Short and narrow musle lies above
mylohyoid
○ When the hyoid bone is fixed, it
depresses the mandible
