The Mandible: An Atlas of Osteological and Radiological Anatomy

In this book review, I would like to introduce the book ‘The Mandible’ which has recently been published in 2022. The mandible is the largest and strongest facial bone which can preserve its shape better than any other bone in the forensic and anthropologic field. The mandible is utilized to distin-guish between the ethnic groups and sexes [1]. The temporomandibular joint located between the mandib-ular head and the temporomandibular fossa allows free move-ment of the mandible which aids in chewing and digestion [2]. The mandible is inserted by the masticatory muscles, which include the masseter muscle, the temporal muscle, the medial pterygoid muscle, and the lateral pterygoid muscle. The shape of the mandible can vary according to the different lifestyles and chewing habits [3]. Therefore, the morphological charac-teristics of the mandible vary among different ethnic groups. There is very little text in this atlas. All contents are orga-nized in pictures, which is very helpful since you can intui-tively check the shape of the mandible. In chapters 1 to 4, the shape of an adult mandible can be confirmed from various angles, and in chapter 5, the human fetus specimens at 27, 28, and 29 weeks are summarized. By taking detailed pictures of the upper and lower jaws of the fetus, which cannot be eas-ily observed, you can check the appearance of the fetus’s jaw when it occurs. In addition to the general features of the mandible, several specimens can be viewed from multiple angles and various cross-sectional views. Besides the normal anatomy of the mandible, morphological variations that can be encountered in clinical practices such as the mandibular torus, elongated mental spine, and elongated coronoid process are included. Various eruption patterns of the 3rd molar are also de-picted which is beneficial when clinically extracting the third molar, which is an important part in the dental field. And this book also provides information on the mylohyoid line, external oblique ridge, and mental foramen. In addition, it provides CBCT (cone-beam computed tomography) images of the lower jaw, which can be a good guide for comprehend-ing radiographic images. Therefore, this atlas can provide osteological and radio-logical information to not only anthropologists who study bones, but also dentists or oral and maxillofacial surgeons engaged in clinical practice in this area, and researchers who specialize in this field and related research fields.