The buccinator ( or musculus bucinatorius) is a thin quadrilateral muscle occupying the interval between the maxilla and the mandible at the side of the face. It forms the anterior part of the cheek or the lateral wall of the oral cavity.
Structure
It arises from the outer surfaces of the alveolar processes of the maxilla and mandible, corresponding to the three pairs of molar teeth and in the mandible, it is attached upon the bucinator crest posterior to the third molar; and behind, from the anterior border of the pterygomandibular raphe which separates it from the constrictor pharyngis superior.
The fibers converge toward the angle of the mouth, where the central fibers intersect each other, those from below being continuous with the upper segment of the orbicularis oris, and those from above with the lower segment; the upper and lower fibers are continued forward into the corresponding lip without decussation.
Innervation
Motor innervation is from the buccal branch of the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII). Sensory innervation is supplied by the buccal branch (one of the muscular branches) of the mandibular part of the trigeminal (cranial nerve V).
Function
Its purpose is to pull back the angle of the mouth and to flatten the cheek area, which aids in holding the cheek to the teeth during chewing. This action causes the muscle to keep food pushed back on the occlusal surface of the posterior teeth, as when a person chews. By keeping the food in the correct position when chewing, the bucinator assists the muscles of mastication. or more precisely, the person who blows the bucina. hence some disapproved the spelling buccinator. or musculus buccalis in Latin and muscle of the cheek and preceding editions (Nomina Anatomica)
dictate the spelling 'buccinator' with double 'c', with the exception of the Jena Nomina Anatomica, authorized in 1935, which writes 'musculus bucinatorius'
<!-- too much for this page - move to a new one Bucinator is derived from Ancient Latin bos, "ox/bull/cow"), βυκανη (spiral trompet/horn -->
Additional images
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File:Sobo 1909 263.png
File:Sobo 1909 262.png
File:Sobo 1909 264.png
File:Sobo 1909 266.png
File:Gray157.png|Left maxilla, outer surface
File:Gray176.png|Mandible, outer surface, side view
File:Gray381.png|Scheme showing arrangement of fibers of orbicularis oris
File:Gray513.png|The internal carotid and vertebral arteries, right side
File:Gray778.png|Distribution of the maxillary and mandibular nerves and the submaxillary ganglion
File:Gray781.png|Mandibular division of the trifacial nerve
File:Gray1201.png|The mouth cavity: The cheeks have been slit transversely and the tongue pulled forward.
File:Buccinator muscle animation small.gif|Position of buccinator muscle (red)
File:Buccinator muscle lateral.png|Position of buccinator muscle (red)
File:Buccinator muscle frontal.png|Position of buccinator muscle (red)
File:Slide1vv.JPG|Buccinator muscle
</gallery>