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The jaws are opened by the lateral pterygoid muscle & are closed by the temporalis, masseter, & medial pterygoid.
| Muscle | Origin | Insertion | Action | Nerve | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lateral pterygoid | superior head: greater wing of sphenoid; inferior head: lateral surface of lateral pterygoid plate | superior head: capsule & articular disc of TMJ; inferior head: neck of mandibular condyle | protraction of the mandible; lateral deviation of mandible to side opposite of contraction (during chewing) | trigeminal nerve (CN V) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Masseter | superficial part: zygomatic process of maxilla; inferior border of zygomatic arch; deep part: posterior aspect of inferior border of zygomatic arch | superficial part: angle & ramus of mandible; deep part: superior ramus & coronoid process of mandible | elevation of mandible (clenches teeth); protraction of mandible; retraction of mandible | trigeminal nerve (CN V) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Medial pterygoid | medial surface of lateral pterygoid plate of sphenoid; palatine bone & pterygoid fossa | inner surface of mandibular ramus & angle of mandible | elevation of mandible (clenches teeth); protraction of mandible; lateral deviation of mandible | trigeminal nerve (CN V) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Temporalis | temporal fossa | coronoid process & ramus of mandible | elevation of mandible; retraction of mandible (posterior fibers) | trigeminal nerve (CN V) (mandibular branch) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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