Buccinator Muscle, Lateral View

Description

Seen from the lateral aspect of the male face, the buccinator forms a thin, quadrilateral muscular sheet in the substance of the cheek, lying deep to the skin and superficial fascia and deep to the mimetic muscles that converge at the oral commissure. Its fibers arise posteriorly from the alveolar parts of the maxilla and mandible adjacent to the molar teeth and from the pterygomandibular raphe, then run anteriorly to decussate into the orbicularis oris at the angle of the mouth. Superiorly the muscle relates to the zygomatic region, while inferiorly it approaches the body of the mandible and the perioral soft tissues. The buccal fat pad occupies the superficial plane over much of its surface. This lateral view matters because the buccinator is the dynamic wall of the oral vestibule, the structure that keeps the bolus between the occlusal surfaces and prevents food from pooling in the buccal sulcus. Injury to the buccal branches of the facial nerve or scarring from intraoral incisions can weaken cheek compression, a common complaint after parotid surgery, facial trauma, or deep lacerations at the oral commissure. The parotid duct typically courses across the masseter and turns medially to pierce the buccinator opposite the maxillary second molar, a small anatomic fact with large implications for duct cannulation and repair. A practical landmark. Use this artwork in head and neck anatomy teaching (facial expression muscles, oral vestibule, and pterygomandibular raphe), in dental and maxillofacial surgery texts covering intraoral approaches and parotid duct injury, or in patient education on facial nerve palsy affecting cheek function. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.