The cranial buttressing system has many important roles, mostly surrounding the act of mastication. Reinforced pathways within the skull are called buttresses; these are thicker and much more dense areas of bone within the skull, which is necessary for many reasons.
The buttressing system within the skull is made up of many buttresses running both vertically and horizontally across the skull to create a lattice of thicker and stronger bone necessary for structure and support. [4] These pathways are needed in order to absorb high traction forces from mastication as well as allow for the muscle attachment necessary for mastication. [8] The strongest buttresses are vertically oriented, whereas the weaker buttresses are horizontally oriented. [5] This allows the weaker horizontal …show more content…
The pterygidmaxillary runs from the maxilla, through the pterygoid plates up into the sphenoid bone. [3] This allows the high traction forces from the upper set of dentition to diffuse away from weaker bones. [8]
The vertical mandible buttress is the only buttress to begin and end within the mandible. This buttress runs from the anterior area of the mandible towards the posterior section. The vertical mandible buttress is the only buttress within the system that transmits the high traction forces from mastication that originate from the lower dentition. [8]
Muscle attachment is an important role of the buttressing system within the skull. This system allows for muscles important in terms of mastication to form strong attachments. [7] Both the outer and inner masseter muscles which are extremely strong muscles used in masticatory processes connect from the mandible to the zygomatic arch. These muscles are used in grinding of the teeth as well as chewing.