Ever wondered why your dentist sometimes uses a special sheet during your dental treatments? This is called a rubber dam or dental dam, and it’s an important tool that helps make your dental procedures safer and more effective.
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When it comes to restorative dentistry, one essential process you might encounter is teeth etching. This technique is a crucial step in ensuring the strong, durable bond of dental materials to your natural tooth structure. Here’s an in-depth overview to help you understand what teeth etching is, why it’s important, and how it’s done.
The lateral pterygoid muscle is a key player in the movements of the mandible, specifically in opening the mouth and moving the jaw side-to-side. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the lateral pterygoid muscle, detailing its anatomy, function, and clinical significance.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Origin | Superior head: Roof of the infratemporal fossa (greater wing of the sphenoid and infratemporal crest). Inferior head: Lateral surface of the lateral pterygoid plate. |
| Insertion | Superior head: Capsule of the TMJ and articular disc. Inferior head: Pterygoid fovea on the neck of the mandible. |
| Action | Bilateral: Protraction of the mandible, assists in depression (opening the mouth). Unilateral: Contralateral excursion (lateral movement). |
| Innervation | Nerve to the lateral pterygoid, a branch of the mandibular nerve (cranial nerve V3). |
| Blood Supply | Pterygoid branches of the maxillary artery. |
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