Which muscles raise the jaw?

Study for the City and Guilds Dental Nursing Block 2 Test. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations, to prepare effectively. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which muscles raise the jaw?

Explanation:
Raising the jaw means elevating the mandible to close the mouth. The muscles that do this best are the temporalis and the masseter. The temporalis sits on the side of the skull and pulls the mandible upward (and can help retract it a little). The masseter runs from the cheekbone to the angle and ramus of the mandible and lifts the jaw strongly. The other options don’t elevate the jaw: the digastric lowers the mandible to open the mouth, and the buccinator moves the cheek for chewing and blowing but doesn’t raise the jaw. So, the muscles that raise the jaw are the temporalis and the masseter.

Raising the jaw means elevating the mandible to close the mouth. The muscles that do this best are the temporalis and the masseter. The temporalis sits on the side of the skull and pulls the mandible upward (and can help retract it a little). The masseter runs from the cheekbone to the angle and ramus of the mandible and lifts the jaw strongly. The other options don’t elevate the jaw: the digastric lowers the mandible to open the mouth, and the buccinator moves the cheek for chewing and blowing but doesn’t raise the jaw. So, the muscles that raise the jaw are the temporalis and the masseter.

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