by Dr. Gary Farr on 2 August 2003
1
What is It?
The jaw consists either of a pair of bones that form the framework of the mouth of vertebrate animals, usually containing teeth and including a movable lower jaw (mandible) and fixed upper jaw (maxilla). Jaws function by moving in opposition to each other and are used for biting, chewing, and the handling of food.
The mandible consists of a horizontal arch, which holds the teeth and contains blood vessels and nerves. Two vertical portions (rami) form movable hinge joints on either side of the head, articulating with the glenoid cavity of the temporal bone of the skull. The rami also provide attachment for muscles important in chewing. The centre front of the arch is thickened and buttressed to form a chin, a development unique to man and some of his recent ancestors; the great apes and other animals lack chins.
The upper jaw is firmly attached to the nasal bones at the bridge of the nose; to the frontal, lacrimal, ethmoid, and zygomatic bones within the eye socket; to the palatine and sphenoid bones in the roof of the mouth; and at the side, by an extension, to the zygomatic bone (cheekbone), with which it forms the anterior portion of the zygomatic arch. The arched lower part of the maxilla contains the upper teeth. Inside the body of the bone is the large maxillary sinus.
In the human fetus and infant both the upper and lower jaws have two halves; these fuse at the midline a few months after birth.
The temporomandibular joint connects the lower jaw, called the mandible, to the temporal bone at the side of the head. If you place your fingers just in front of your ears and open your mouth, you can feel the joint on each side of your head. Because these joints are flexible, the jaw can move smoothly up and down and side to side, enabling us to talk, chew and yawn. Muscles attached to and surrounding the jaw joint control its position and movement.
When we open our mouths, the rounded ends of the lower jaw, called condyles, glide along the joint socket of the temporal bone. The condyles slide back to their original position when we close our mouths. To keep this motion smooth, a soft disc lies between the condyle and the temporal bone. This disc absorbs shocks to the TMJ from chewing and other movements.
The temporomandibular joints are complex and are composed of muscles, tendons, and bones. Each component contributes to the smooth operation of the TMJ. When the muscles are relaxed and balanced and both jaw joints open and close comfortably, we are able to talk, chew, or yawn without pain. We can locate the TMJ by putting a finger on the triangular structure in front of the ear. The finger is moved just slightly forward and pressed firmly while opening the jaw. The motion felt is from the TMJ.
We can also feel the joint motion if we put a little finger against the inside front part of the ear canal. These maneuvers can cause considerable discomfort to a patient who is experiencing TMJ difficulty, and doctors use them for making the diagnosis.
Additional information regarding jaw conditions can be found {tmj} here.
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