Dental Insurance Plus, Your Jaw and Oral Health
Knowing the Inner Working of the Jaw.
When talking about our jaw there is much going on. The jaw is a hinged joint with the capacity of moving up and down, and side to side. The movement of the jaw is made possible by a group of four muscles: tensor velipalatini, tensor tympani, digastrics, and the mylohyoid. Through these four muscles run the five cranial nerves: trigeminal, facial, glossopharyngeal, vagus, and hypoglossal. These nerves are responsible for all of your mouth’s motor functions. The trigeminal nerve in particular is responsible for the movement of your jaw as well as any sensations running through it. Even minor stress placed on facial muscles from a misaligned bite will put pressure on your cranial nerve bundle. The end result may be both localized and systemic issues ranging from jaw pain and swelling to chronic headaches and even digestive issues.
