The cheek muscle
Buccinator · musculus buccinator
A thin muscle in your cheek that keeps food between your teeth and blows out air.
What it does
The buccinator forms the muscular wall of the cheek. It presses the cheek against the teeth so food stays on the chewing surfaces instead of collecting in your cheeks, and it helps you blow, whistle and suck.
Surprising fact
Its name comes from the Latin for "trumpeter", because it is the muscle that lets you blow hard without your cheeks ballooning out.
Why it matters
After a stroke or facial palsy weakens it, food tends to pocket in the cheek on the affected side.
Nearby
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Sources
Drafted with AI help; awaiting a human fact-check against these sources.
Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.