| Latin | Musculus buccinator |
|---|---|
| Origin |
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| Insertion |
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| Action |
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| Nerve | Facial nerve (CN VII), buccal branch (motor) |
| Name | Latin buccinator, 'trumpeter' — it firms the cheeks when blowing. |
Palpation
- Client supine; sit at the head of the table.
- Place your finger pads on the cheek, below the cheekbone and in front of the front edge of the masseter, level with the corner of the mouth.
- Feel the soft cheek wall; the buccinator lies deep to the skin, cheek fat and other face muscles, so you feel it only as a firm layer when it contracts.
- Ask the client to fill the cheeks with air and then blow it out slowly through pursed lips; feel the cheek wall firm up under your fingers.
The buccinator forms the muscular wall of the cheek. It lies deeper than most of the other face muscles, under the cheek fat, and runs from the back of the jaws forward into the Orbicularis oris at the corner of the mouth. It keeps food between the teeth when you chew, so it works alongside the Masseter, and it firms the cheeks when you blow.
In Head, face and scalp — 20 min massage, the buccinator is worked as part of the cheek: light circles in the soft area between the masseter and the corner of the mouth, and gentle strokes from the corner of the mouth back towards the ear. Clients who chew gum a lot, play wind instruments or clench the jaw may notice tenderness here. Keep pressure light and avoid pressing the cheek hard against the teeth.
Do not confuse the two “buccal” nerves. The buccal branch of the facial nerve (CN VII) makes the buccinator move, while the buccal nerve from the trigeminal nerve (CN V3) carries only feeling from the skin and lining of the cheek. The 2019 edition of Terminologia Anatomica spells the name “bucinator”, with one c.