Buccinator Muscle Under the Skin, Anterior View

Description

Seen through partially transparent facial skin, the buccinator occupies the lateral wall of the oral vestibule, spanning from the maxillary and mandibular alveolar processes toward the angle of the mouth. Its posterior margin anchors to the pterygomandibular raphe, positioned just anterior to the mandibular ramus and medial to the cheek soft tissues. Anteriorly, fibers course toward the modiolus at the oral commissure, interlacing with orbicularis oris and blending with the perioral mimetic muscle sling, with the zygomaticus major and minor lying more superior and lateral as they converge on the same corner of the mouth. Functionally, this anterior perspective clarifies why the buccinator is treated as a muscle of mastication in action, even though it is innervated by the buccal branches of the facial nerve, because it compresses the cheek against the molar teeth and keeps the bolus from collecting in the vestibule. It also flags a practical landmark: the parotid (Stensen) duct pierces the buccinator opposite the maxillary second molar, so edema, duct stones, or surgical dissection in this region risks salivary leakage or duct injury. Nerve relationships matter here. Buccal nerve sensory supply to the cheek mucosa can be confused with facial nerve motor branches during local anesthesia or flap elevation. Dental and oral surgery teams can use this artwork to explain cheek retraction, buccal mucosa incisions, and the muscular basis of postoperative cheek biting after facial nerve weakness. It also fits cleanly into head and neck anatomy teaching, facial expression modules for allied health curricula, and figure plates for textbooks covering perioral musculature, modiolus anatomy, and salivary duct anatomy. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.