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The mandible (lower jaw) is divided into several regions. The portion which houses the teeth is called the body of the mandible. The teeth themselves are set in sockets called mandibular alveoli within the alveolar margins. The bend in the jaw is termed the mandibular angle, and the remaining vertical extension is the ramus. Coming off each ramus are two major processes separated from each other by the mandibular notch. The condyloid process (also called the mandibular condyle) articulates with the mandibular fossa of the temporal bone to form the temporomandibular joint. The coronoid process serves as an attachment site for the muscles that move the jaw during chewing and talking. Blood vessels and nerves that supply the teeth and bone cells pass through the mandibular and mental foramina. |