As major players in chewing, your lateral pterygoid muscles are mainly responsible for moving your lower jaw from side to side and forward, and playsa role in opening your jaw. Rehabilitating your temporomandibular joint --- commonly abbreviated...
Between talking and chewing, your jaw moves thousands of times a day. Most people take these actions for granted and never think twice about it but movement of the jaw is very important -- movement of the jaw allow you to enjoy food and begin the...
The nose is a structure of the face with the two primary physiological functions of smell and conditioning inhaled air. The nose also has an aesthetic value in facial recognition and beauty. The nose has a very large surface area internally, which...
The nose is located on the face and has several purposes. Physiologically, the nose humidifies and warms incoming air before it reaches the lungs and provides a large surface area for the sense of smell. Aesthetically, the nose is a central...
Mastication, or chewing, is the first step in breaking down food for digestion. Mastication is performed by the masseter, temporalis and pterygoid muscles of the jaw, according to the book "Anatomy and Physiology." Strong jaw muscles are important...
The temporomandibular joint, TMJ, is the joint on each side of the face in front of the ears where the head and lower jaw meet. This joint is responsible for talking, chewing, and yawning. Dysfunction of the TMJ occurs when pain or tenderness are...
The nose is composed of bones, cartilage, mucous membranes and skin. It has the physiological functions of sense of smell and conditioning inhaled air before it reaches the lungs. The nose is essentially a complex set of passages and openings...
The jaw consists of the temporal bones of the skull and the hanging hinge bone called the mandible. They form two joints, one on each side of the face. Together they are known as the tempomandibular joint, or TMJ. The jaw initially opens like a...
According to MayoClinic.com, wrinkles are a natural part of aging. This causes your skin to get thinner, drier and less elastic. One way to defy the aging process is to approach your facial muscles the same way you do the rest of your body. Along...
One of the more unattractive signs of an aging face is an undefined, sagging jawline. This occurs when the pterygoid internus muscle, which is between the middle of the cheeks and the edge of the jaw, begins to lose strength. Many people choose to...
Athletes and weightlifters may occasionally feel burned out if they exercise too much. You don't have to be an athlete to experience adverse effects from overtraining. Exercising more than you body can handle causes a condition called overtraining...
Chewing gum engages the masticatory muscles. The masticatory muscles include the lateral pterygoids and medial ptetygoids. Lateral pterygoids open the jaw; the medial ptetygoids close the jaw. Using either muscle burns calories.
Your head, face and neck are made up of dozens of muscles that allow you to do everything from blink to swallow. These muscles not only give you the ability to move, they provide firmness and definition to your face and neck. Because muscles can...
