Reflexes Elicitable in Jaw Muscles and Their Role During Jaw Function and Dysfunction: A Review of the Literature: Part III. Reflexes in Human Jaw Muscles During Function and Dysfunction of the Masticatory System

The enormous amount of literature on jaw function, swallowing, and respiration reflects the complexity of orofacial function. This article, the last in a series of three, describes observed reflexes in jaw muscles and their relationship to functional and dysfunctional states of the masticatory system. The previous articles have dealt with the central mechanisms of jaw movement (with an overview of the oral receptors involved) and with the central connections of orofacial afferent fibers.