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Research
The key purposes of the muscles of mastication are to assist in food grinding, teeth approximation, and the eating process. Interestingly, these muscles may be divided into the primary and the secondary ones, and while the latter group consists of about eight muscles, the former includes only four. According to Saladin (2021), they are medial pterygoid, lateral pterygoid, temporalis, and masseter. While their origin may be examined separately, all four originate from the skulls surface and attach to the mandibles rami at the temporomandibular ( Muscles of Mastication, n.d.). The main movements produced with the help of the mentioned muscles are side-to-side movement, retraction, protrusion, depression, and elevation (Basit, Tariq, & Siccardi, 2021). It is interesting to note that precisely lateral pterygoid muscle is the only muscle that is responsible for the depression movement, which is mainly the result of gravity.
Critical Thinking
Overall, it is possible to say that all people need to know basic information about mastication and the four primary muscles involved in it. The reason is that these muscles are involved in one of the most essential processes of humans everyday lives eating. Consequently, it is of vital importance for individuals to examine some risk factors and causes of masticatory muscle disorders that may result in difficulty chewing food and failure of other functions of the lower jaw. For example, as mentioned by Basit et al. (2021), masticatory muscle disorders include myofascial pain and dysfunction, myositis, and neoplasms (para. 6). In order to prevent some disorders and following complications, people need to be aware that chronic clenching of the mouth and bruxism are the main causes of such dysfunctions, so one needs to address these conditions. In that case, it is possible to avoid problems with the four muscles of mastication.
References
Basit, H., Tariq, M. A., & Siccardi, M. A. (2021). Anatomy, head and neck, mastication muscles. StatPearls Publishing.
Muscles of mastication. (n.d.). Web.
Saladin, K. S. (2021). Anatomy & physiology: The unity of form and function (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
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