gnatho-, gnath-, -gnatha, -gnathan, -gnath, -gnathia, -gnathic, -gnathous

(Greek: jaw)

The jaw is the name applied to the bones which contain the teeth.

The two upper jaw-bones, the maxillae, are firmly attached to the other bones of the face.

The lower jaw, the mandible, is shaped in a form similar to that of a horseshoe, and, after the first year of life, it consists of a single bone.

It forms a hinge-joint with the squamous part (thin, plate-like section) of the temporal bone, immediately in front of the ear.

Both the upper and the lower jaw-bones include deep sockets known as alveoli, which contain the roots of the teeth.

—Compiled from information located in
Black's Medical Dictionary, 41st edition;
Edited by Dr. Harvey Marcovitch; The Scarecrow Press, Inc.;
Lanham, Maryland and Oxford, England; 2005; page 385.
gnathism
A condition of having an upper jaw that protrudes beyond the plane of the face.
gnathitis
Inflammation or the burning sensation of the jaw.
gnathobase
In Arthropoda (jointed-foot invertebrates; such as, arachnids, crustaceans, insects, millipedes, and centipedes), with a masticatory (chewing) process on the innerside of the first joint of an appendage.
gnathocephalus
1. A malformed fetus in which the head consists primarily of the jaws.
2. A fetal malformation with little of the head formed except the jaws.

In humans, the fetus is the unborn child from the end of the eighth week after conception to the moment of birth, as distinguished from the earlier embryo.

gnathodynamia
The strength of chewing or the biting pressure of the jaws.
gnathodynamics
The study of the relationship of the magnitude and direction of the forces developed by and involved in mastication during the process of chewing.
gnathodynamometer
An apparatus used for measuring the biting pressure of the jaws of an individual.
gnathodynia
Pain in the jaw; for example, that which is commonly associated with an impacted wisdom tooth.
gnathodynic (adjective), more gnathodynic, most gnathodynic
A reference to a pain in the jaw: There are many origins of gnathodynic complaints including sinusitis, a jaw injury, and misaligned teeth.
gnathography
The recording of the action of the masticatory apparatus (chewing food in preparation for swallowing and digestion) while it is functioning.
gnathology
1. The study of the forces exerted by the teeth in the jaws, especially during mastication or chewing.
2. A field of dental or medical study which deals with the entire chewing apparatus, including its anatomic, histological, morphological, physiologic, and pathological characteristics.

Diagnostic, therapeutic, and any necessary rehabilitative procedures can be determined by such research results.

gnathoplasty
1. The plastic repair of the jaw or cheek.
2. Repairing surgery or plastic surgery of the jaw.
gnathoplegia
Paralysis of the muscles of the cheek.
gnathopod
Any leg-like appendage of a crustacean, when modified wholly, or in part, that serves as a jaw; jaw footed.
gnathopodite
1. A segmental, modified appendage which serves as a jaw in arthropods or an invertebrate animal that has jointed limbs, a segmented body, and an exoskeleton made of chitin; such as, an insect, arachnid, centipede, or crustacean.
2. Any leglike appendage of a crustacean, when modified wholly, or in part, to serve as a jaw; especially, one of the maxillipeds or one of the six specialized feeding appendages arranged in pairs and located just behind the maxillae (upper jawbone) on the heads of crustaceans.