When the lateral and medial pterygoids contract on only one side, the chin moves to the opposite side. When opposite movements at the two temporomandibular joints are coordinated, a chewing movement results.
The mandibular nerve [V3] is the largest of the three divisions of the trigeminal nerve [V].
Unlike the ophthalmic [V1] and maxillary [V2] nerves, which are purely sensory, the mandibular nerve [V3] is both motor and sensory.