Buccinator Muscle, Anterior View

Description

Centered on the cheek, the buccinator forms a broad, thin muscular sheet deep to the superficial mimetic muscles, its horizontal fibers running from the maxillary and mandibular alveolar parts toward the oral commissure. Medially, those fibers decussate and blend into the modiolus at the angle of the mouth, interlacing with orbicularis oris and receiving slips from zygomaticus major and risorius. Superior and inferior to the muscle’s body, the lips frame the oral fissure, while lateral facial contours are defined by neighboring muscles such as masseter and zygomaticus minor in the anterior view. Bilateral symmetry is preserved. Seeing the buccinator from the front matters because it clarifies the modiolus as a functional hub rather than a simple point on the skin. Buccinator weakness after buccal branch facial nerve injury, or after parotid and midface procedures, presents as food trapping in the vestibule and an asymmetric smile due to disrupted coordination between buccinator and orbicularis oris. The relationship to the oral commissure also underpins safe trajectories for intraoral incisions and helps orient clinicians during repair of cheek lacerations where mimetic muscle reapproximation affects oral competence. A deceptively small area. Use this illustration for gross anatomy and head and neck blocks when teaching muscles of facial expression, and for surgical education in oral and maxillofacial surgery, ENT, and plastic surgery texts discussing the perioral musculature and the modiolus. It also suits patient-facing materials on facial nerve palsy and post-parotidectomy rehabilitation, where the buccinator’s role in bolus control needs clear visual grounding. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.