The upper jaw bones that form the central part of the facial skeleton, holding the upper teeth and forming parts of the nasal cavity, eye sockets, and hard palate. The two maxillae fuse during development to create the upper jaw structure.
From Latin 'maxilla' meaning jaw, from 'maximus' (greatest). The name reflects its role as the major bone of the upper facial region and its importance in facial structure.
Your maxilla is like the central hub of your face - it touches almost every other facial bone and contains the maxillary sinus, which is why upper tooth infections can sometimes cause sinus problems! Le Fort fractures, which involve the maxilla, are classified by how they separate the face from the skull, showing just how central this bone is to facial integrity.
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