Masticatory apparatus
The jaws, teeth, associated bones, and muscles that bite and grind food. Its coordinated movements prepare food for swallowing.
Mastication: The process of chewing, which breaks food into smaller pieces and mixes it with saliva. This is the movement the apparatus produces.
Mandible: The movable lower jawbone, which bears the lower teeth and articulates with the skull. It carries the lower teeth and moves during chewing.
Bruxism: Repetitive clenching or grinding of the teeth, often during sleep or wakefulness. It exposes teeth and jaw muscles to excessive repetitive loading.
Deglutition: The coordinated process of moving food or liquid from the mouth through the pharynx and esophagus. Chewing prepares a food bolus for this next stage.
Temporomandibular joint: The paired joints connecting the mandible to the temporal bones of the skull. These joints guide the mandible's opening, closing, and sliding movements.
Maxilla: The paired upper jaw bones that form the upper dental arch and contribute to the face and palate. It anchors the upper teeth against which the mandible closes.
Temporomandibular disorder: A group of conditions affecting the temporomandibular joints, chewing muscles, or related structures. These disorders impair movement or cause pain in the apparatus.
Digestive system: The organs and tissues that ingest food, break it down, absorb nutrients, and eliminate waste. The masticatory apparatus begins mechanical digestion within this larger system.
Masseter muscle: A powerful muscle of the jaw that elevates the mandible during biting and chewing. It supplies much of the force used to close the jaw.
Teeth: Hard structures in the mouth that cut, tear, and grind food. Their shapes divide chewing into cutting and grinding tasks.