Lateral Perspective of the Buccinator Muscle

Description

From a left lateral head and neck perspective, the cheek musculature is dominated by the buccinator, with horizontally oriented fibers extending anteriorly from the pterygomandibular raphe toward the modiolus at the oral commissure, where they interlace with orbicularis oris. Superiorly, the buccinator relates to the maxillary alveolar process and the buccal space, while inferiorly it approaches the mandibular alveolar part, forming the muscular wall of the vestibule. Posterior to the buccinator, the ramus of the mandible and the masseter sit more superficially, and the temporalis occupies the temporal fossa superior to the zygomatic arch. Sternocleidomastoid is visible in the neck, running inferoanteriorly from the mastoid region. Functionally, the buccinator matters less for “chewing power” than for bolus control, pressing the cheek against the teeth to prevent food trapping in the lateral oral vestibule. It is the muscle clinicians think about when evaluating facial nerve (CN VII) weakness affecting oral competence, and it is a key layer traversed during intraoral approaches to the buccal space. This is the anatomy behind cheek biting, sialocele risk near the parotid duct’s course across masseter, and the tactile landmark of the pterygomandibular raphe used during inferior alveolar nerve block, even though the target lies deeper. Dental anatomy and local anesthesia teaching benefit from a clear lateral rendering of the buccinator’s fiber direction and its convergence at the modiolus, and maxillofacial surgery texts often pair this view with discussions of buccal mucosa flaps and buccinator-based reconstruction. It also fits well in head and neck modules that contrast muscles of facial expression with muscles of mastication. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.