MUSCLES

OF
MASTICATION
Presented by:

Mohammad Anas Sulimani

INTRODUCTION:
• Mastication is defined as the
process of chewing food in
preparation for swallowing and
digestion.
• Four pairs of the muscles in the
mandible make chewing
movement possible.
• These muscles along with
accessory ones together are
termed as “MUSCLES OF
MASTICATION”.
These muscles can b divided into:
BASIC MUSCLES:
Temporalis
Masseter
Medial pterygoid
Lateral pterygoid
Accessory Muscles:
Buccinator
Digastric muscle(anterior belly)
Geniohyoid
Mylohyoid
Orbicularis Ouli
DEVELOPMENT:
The basic muscles of mastication
develop from the mesenchyme of first
branchial arch.
So they receive their all
innervations from the
mandibular division of
trigeminal nerve , all from
the anterior division except
the medial pterygoid which
gets its nerve supply from
MOVEMENTS OF THE MANDIBLE:
Movements that mandible can undergo are:
Depression: as in opening the mouth.

Elevation : as in closing the mouth.

Protraction: horizontal movement of the mandible

anteriorly.

Retraction: horizontal movement of the mandible

posteriorly.

Rotation: the anterior tip of the mandible is “slewed” from

side to side.
These movements of mandible are performed by
various muscles involved in it. So functionally, the
muscles of mastication are classified as :
Jaw elevators:
Masseter
Temporalis
Medial pterygoid
Upper head of lateral pterygoid
Jaw depressors:
Lower head of lateral pterygoid
Anterior digastric
Geniohyoid
Mylohyoid
 Temporalis:
It is the largest among all the mastication muscles and
is fan shaped muscle.

Origin: from inferior temporal line , floor of the

temporal fossa and from the overlying temporal fascia.

Insertion: anterior and medial tip of the coronoid

process.

It has been divided into two heads:

1. Deep head (anterior, middle and posterior fibers)
2. Superficial head (much smaller)
Action:
Elevation( anterior fibers)
Retraction( posterior fibers)

Nerve supply:
Anterior dvision of the
mandibular nerve(by 2
deep temporal nerves).
Its action is done by the:

The anterior fibers during function act vertically

and elevate the mandible.

The posterior fibers diverge and become horizontal

and retract the mandible.

Blood Supply:

From the maxillary artery

 MASSETER:
It consist of two overlapping heads.

The origin o f the whole muscle is mainly from

the zygomatic process.

1. The superficial head arises from the lower

border of the zygomatic arch.
2. The deep head arises from the inner surface of
the zygomatic arch.

 The insertion of both the heads is into the

outer surface of the ramus of the mandible.
ACTION:
Action of masseter muscle is mainly to elevate the
mandible(antigravity action) and also helps in
protrusive movements.

It is the main muscle involved in the elevation of

the mandible.

NERVE SUPPLY:
By the mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve ,
fom the naterior division (masseteric nerve)
BLOOD SUPPLY:
Blood supply is from the maxillary artery which
is the terminal branch from the external carotid
artery.

One of the interesting property of this

muscle is that, internally, the muscle has
many tendinous septa that greatly
increases the area for muscle
attachment and so increases its power.
MEDIAL PTERYGOID:
It is also called as the pterygoideus
internus(internal pterygoid muscle).
It consist of two heads which differ in origin:
ORIGIN:
1. The deep head originates from the medial
surface of the lateral pterygoid plate of the
sphenoid bone.

2. The superficial head originates from the

maxillary tuberosity.
Insertion:
The muscle inserts into the inner surface of the
angle of the mandible .

Nerve Supply:
Nerve supply of the muscle comes from the
main trunk of the mandibular division of
trigeminal nerve .

Blood Supply:
Blood supply is chiefly from the maxillary
artery.
Action:
Elevate the mandible.

Protrusion of mandible(lateral and medial

pterygoid on one side protrude the mandible
on opposite side).

Side to side movement(these lateral

movements are achieved by lateral and medial
pterygoid on both side acting together to
produce side to side movements).
LATERAL PTRYGOID:
Also called as pterygoideus externus(external
pterygoid muscle).
It is a short conical muscle having two heads upper
and lower:
Upper Head:
Origin: infra temporal surface and crest of the
greater wing of the sphenoid bone.
Insertion: enters the TMJ and inserted into:
a) Pterygoid fovea of the neck of the mandible.
b) Articular disc
c) Capsule of the TMJ(anterior aspect).
Lower head:
Origin: lateral surface of
the lateral pterygoid plate.

Insertion: its insertion is

same as that of the upper
head, it enters the TMJ and
gets inserted into:
a) Ptergoid Fovea of the
neck
b) Articular disc
c) Capsule of TMJ(anterior
aspect).
Nerve Supply:
Anterior division of the mandibular branch of
trigeminal nerve(nere to lateral pterygoid)
Blood Supply:
Maxillary artery
Action:
Depression of the mandible
Side to side movement
Protrusion of mandible
 Summary of the Anatomy
and Function of
Muscle of mastication
MUSCLE ORIGIN DESCRIPTI
INSERTION ON

Masseter Zygomatic Mandible(exte Closes jaw;

arch rnal surface) falt thick
muscle
Temporalis Temporal Coronoid Closes jaw;
bone process at the fan -shaped
anterior boder
of the ramus
Medial Sphenoid,pala Inner surface Closes jaw;
pterygoid tine,& of the ramus parallels
maxillary masseter
bones muscle
Lateral Sphenoid Anterior Open jaw;
Accessory Muscles of
Mastication
BUCCINATOR:
 It is an accessory muscle of
mastication.
 Origin: it originates from the
buccal plate of bone of the sockets
of upper and lower three molars
and pterygomandibular ligament.
 Insertion:
Upper fibers are inserted into upper
lip.
Lower fibers are inserted into lower
lip.
 Action:
The main action of buccinator is to
prevent the accumulation of food
in the vestibule of mouth.
MYLOHYOID:
It forms the floor of the mouth.
Origin: its origin is from the mylohyoid line on the
internal aspect of mandible.
Insertion: The fibers slop downward and forward
to inter digitate with the fibers of other side to
form the median raphe .
This median raphe is inserted in the chin from
above and the hyoid bone from below.
Action: elevates the hyoid bone, supports and
raises floor of mouth which aids in early stages of
swallowing ,depresses the mandible.
GENIOHYOID:
Origin: from inferior genial tubercle(in the
midline of inner surface of mandible).

Insertion:into the hyoid bone.

Action:depresses the mandible.

Chewing :-
Two separate acts are recognized in chewing
process .

1- First is the combination in which food is

secured by the lips and bitten by the front
teeth.

2- Second is mastication, the major activity

during which the food is mashed between the
back teeth.
Chewing process results in the
compression at TMJ.

Chewing in humans is unilateral and

asymmetrical .
Masticator Muscle Disorders :
Some of the common masticator muscle
disorders involve:

1- Congenital hyperplasia/ hyperplasia

2- Hypermobility/ hypomobilityof the muscle

3- MPDS.

4- Myositis ossificans , etc

Congenital Hypoplasia/Hyperplasia:
It occurs very rarely, and is more common in
massetera nd orbicularisoris.

~ Its oral symptoms include enlargement or

decreased size of the affected muscle, which
may show an
asymmetric facial pattern and stiffness in the
temporo-mandibularjoint.

~ It may or may not be associated with

hypermobility/ hypomobilityof the muscles
Hypermobility/ hypomobilityof the
muscle :
This disorder involves extreme or diminished activity of
the masticatorymuscles.

Its etiology includes various factors such as:

-> Decreased/ increased threshold potential of neural
activity.

-> Parkinsonism

-> Facial paralysis

-> Nerve decompression

-> Secondary involvement of systemic diseases

Myofacial Pain Dysfunction Syndrome
(MPDS) :

Muscular Disorders (Myofascial Pain Disorders)

are the most common cause of TMJ pain

associated with masticatory muscles.

Common etiologies include:

1. Many patient with “high stress level”
2. Poor habits including gum chewing,
bruxism, hard candy chewing
3. Poor dentition.
Its treatment includes 4 phases of therapy
which includes muscle exercises and drugs
involving NSAIDs and muscle relaxants.

A bite appliance is also worn by the patient in

the
furthur stages to ‘splint’ the muscle
movement.
Myositis Ossificans :-
It is a condition wherein fibrous tissue and
heterotropic bone forms within the interstitial
tissue of muscle, as well as in associated
tendons or ligaments.

It is of two types: localized and generalized.

Localized myositis ossificans:It is caused by

trauma or heavy muscular strains or by
metaplasia of pluripotential intermuscular
connective tissue.
The affected site remains swollen and tender,
and the overlying skin may be red and
inflamed.

There may present a difficulty in the opening

of the mouth.

management is done by giving sufficient rest

to the
muscle and excision of the involved muscle
after the process has stopped
Generalized myositis ossificans:

In this, formation of bone in tendons and fascia occurs

along with subsequent replacement of muscle mass
by the bony tissue.

The masseter muscle is the most frequently involved.

It usually occurs in children less than 6 years of age.

It shows an evidence of dense osseous structures in

the greater part or whole of the muscle
There is a gradual increase in stiffness and
limitation in the motion of masticatory
muscles. Ultimately, the
entire muscle may get transformed into bone
resulting
in no movement.

Management: there is no specific treatment.

The
muscles involved are to be excised
Conclusion :-
The masticatory muscles include a vital part
of the orofacial structure and are important
both functionally and structurally.

~ The proper management and periodical self-

examination of the muscles may provide a
greater chance of catching the disease
process at an early stage which may be useful
for its better prognosis.
Refrences :
Textbook of oral pathology by Shafers, 4thed.

-> Textbook of oral medicine, by

Avindraoghom, 1sted.

-> Oral anatomy and physiology, buDuBuller

-> Burket’soral medicine: diagnosis and

treatment, 10thed
Oral diagnosis: the clinician’s guide
-by Birnbaum, Dunne, 2nded.

-> Human anatomy by B.D. Chaurasia, 3rded.

-> Human anatomy by dental students by M.K.Anand,

1sted.

-> Clinical anatomy and physiology for medical

students by Snell.

-> Essentials of oral anatomy, histology and

embryology, by Avery and Chiego, 3rded.