Masseter

Looks like

A short, thick rectangle of muscle from the cheekbone to the angle of the jaw.

What it does

The strongest muscle for its size in the body: it closes the jaw with 70 kg of force.

Keeping it well

Stop clenching and chewing gum; night guards protect teeth in people who grind.

Related conditions

• Bell's palsy
• Botulism
• Fibromyalgia
• Frailty & falls in older age
• Heat exhaustion & heatstroke
• Malnutrition & refeeding syndrome
• Muscular dystrophy
• Polymyalgia rheumatica
• Rhabdomyolysis
• Sarcoma
• Sarcopenia
• Teeth grinding (bruxism)
• Temporomandibular joint disorder
• Tension-type headache
• Tetanus