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Bone: Mandible
Mandible. Outer surface. Side view
Mandible. Inner surface. Side view
Latin	mandibula
Gray's	subject #44 172
Precursor	1st branchial arch[1]
MeSH	Mandible

The mandible (from Latin mandibūla, "jawbone") or inferior maxillary bone is, together with the maxilla, the largest and strongest bone of the face^{[citation needed]}. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place.

Contents 1 Components 2 Foramens 3 Nerves 4 Articulations 5 Injuries 6 See also 7 Additional images 8 References 9 External links

The mandible consists of:

• a curved, horizontal portion, the body. (See body of mandible).
• two perpendicular portions, the rami, which unite with the ends of the body nearly at right angles. (See ramus mandibulae)
• Alveolar process, the tooth bearing area of the mandible (upper part of the body of the mandible)
• Condyle, superior (upper) and posterior projection from the ramus, which makes the temporomandibular joint with the temporal bone
• Coronoid process, superior and anterior projection from the ramus. This provides attachment to the temporalis muscle

• Mandibular foramen, paired, in the inner (medial) aspect of the mandible, superior to the mandibular angle in the middle of the ramus.
• Mental foramen, paired, lateral to the mental protuberance on the body of mandible.

Inferior alveolar nerve, branch of the mandibular division of Trigeminal (V) nerve, enters the mandibular foramen and runs forward in the mandibular canal, supplying sensation to the teeth. At the mental foramen the nerve divides into two terminal branches: incisive and mental nerves. The incisive nerve runs forward in the mandible and supplies the anterior teeth. The mental nerve exits the mental foramen and supplies sensation to the lower lip.

The mandible articulates with the two temporal bones at the temporomandibular joints.

Mandibular fractures are often accompanied by a 'twin fracture' on the contralateral (opposite) side.

The mandible may be dislocated anteriorly (to the front) and inferiorly (downwards) but very rarely posteriorly (backwards).

• Bone terminology
• Terms for anatomical location
• Changes produced in the mandible by age
• Ossification of the mandible
• Oral and maxillofacial surgery

Front	Mandible	Gray181.png	Facial bones
Lateral	Dorsal	Side view of the skull.	The skull from the front.
The veins of the neck, viewed from in front.

1. ^ Embryology at UNC hednk-023

• SUNY Labs 34:st-0203 - "Oral Cavity: Bones"
• Diagram at uni-mainz.de

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

v • d • e Bones of head and neck: the face
maxilla	Body of maxilla - Maxillary sinus - surfaces of body Anterior (Incisive fossa, Canine fossa, Infraorbital foramen, Anterior nasal spine) - Infratemporal (Alveolar canals, Maxillary tuberosity) - Orbital (Infraorbital groove, Infraorbital canal) - Nasal (Pterygopalatine canal) processes Zygomatic process - Frontal process (Agger nasi, Anterior lacrimal crest) - Alveolar process - Palatine process (Incisive foramen, Incisive canals, Foramina of Scarpa, Premaxilla, Anterior nasal spine)
lacrimal	Posterior lacrimal crest - Lacrimal groove
zygomatic	Orbital process - foramina (Zygomaticofacial, Zygomaticotemporal, Zygomaticoörbital)
palatine	Pterygopalatine fossa - Pterygoid fossa Horizontal plate (Posterior nasal spine) - Perpendicular plate (Pterygopalatine canal, Sphenopalatine foramen, Pyramidal process) processes (Orbital - Sphenoidal)
mandible	body (Symphysis menti, Mental protuberance, Mental foramen, Mental spine, Mylohyoid line) ramus (Mandibular foramen, Mylohyoid groove, Mandibular canal, Angle, Coronoid process, Condyloid process, Mandibular notch)
others	nasal bone - inferior nasal conchae (ethmoidal process, maxillary process) - vomer