[The skin and mucosa of the head and neck area. Chewing how does that work again?]

During food intake, 3 groups of muscles are active in coordinating the movements of the mandible and the hyoid bone: masticatory muscles, suprahyoid muscles and infrahyoid muscles. The mandibular nerve innervates the masticatory muscles. The mandibular nerve, the facial nerve and the cervical plexus innervate the suprahyoid muscles. The cervical plexus also innervates the infrahyoid muscles. Overuse of the masticatory muscles by clenching or grinding teeth, for example can result in temporomandibular dysfunction, which is characterized by muscle pain, and is often paired with limited mouth opening and headaches. Treatment is generally conservative and often interdisciplinary in nature. A key component of therapy involves increasing the patient s awareness of parafunctional oral habits.