The medial pterygoid
elevates and orientates the mandible laterally
during chewing in conjunction with the masseter.
For example, the right medial pterygoid (red muscle with yellow arrow)
will slightly
shift the mandible toward the "working side" where the food is (target,
to the left).
The orientation of the masseters and medial pterygoids provide the
slight
lateral jaw shifts required during chewing.
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