Where it is
In the cheek, parallel to the axis of the mouth, between the masseter and the corner of the lips.
- Layer
- Muscles
- System
- Facial muscles
- Region
- Head
What it is and what it does
The buccinator is the flat muscle of the cheek, stretched parallel to the axis of the mouth; its molar part arises from the maxilla, above the cheek teeth. In the dog it is broad and very thin, with two planes of crossed fibers. It pulls the corner of the mouth backward and laterally and keeps the food between the teeth. It is supplied by the buccal branches of the facial nerve, mainly the dorsal one.
Worth remembering
It is the foundation of the cheek: the soft cheek in front of the masseter is, in fact, the buccinator covered by skin.
Names
- Latin term: m. buccinator.
- In Romanian: Buccinatorul (Romanian page).
In the atlas lessons
The head: what you see, what is underneath (6 min).