Often, in common parlance, the terms jaw and jaw are used as synonyms.
In reality, as shown in the image, the two terms refer to two distinct anatomical regions:
- the jaw forms the lower scaffold of the mouth. It houses the lower teeth in the alveolar arch and is the only mobile part of the face.
- the jaw instead forms the upper scaffold of the mouth and houses the upper dental arch. Unlike the mandible, the jaw is a fixed bone, so it does not move with the opening and closing of the mouth.
The fact that the jaw is often referred to as the lower jaw, and that the jaw is often referred to as the upper jaw, fuels the confusion between the two terms. Altogether the two bones are also referred to as jaw bones.
