Buccal branch of the facial nerve

Nerve: Buccal branch of the facial nerve
Plan of the facial and intermediate nerves and their communication with other nerves. (Labeled at center bottom, third from the bottom.)
The nerves of the scalp, face, and side of neck.
Latin	rami buccales nervi facialis
Gray's	subject #202 905
Innervates	cheek
From	facial nerve
Dorlands / Elsevier	r_02/12689160

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

The Buccal Branches of the facial nerve (infraorbital branches), of larger size than the rest of the branches, pass horizontally forward to be distributed below the orbit and around the mouth.

The superficial branches run beneath the skin and above the superficial muscles of the face, which they supply: some are distributed to the Procerus, joining at the medial angle of the orbit with the infratrochlear and nasociliary branches of the ophthalmic.

The deep branches pass beneath the Zygomaticus and the Quadratus labii superioris, supplying them and forming an infraorbital plexus with the infraorbital branch of the maxillary nerve. These branches also supply the small muscles of the nose.

The lower deep branches supply the Buccinator and Orbicularis oris, and join with filaments of the buccinator branch of the mandibular nerve.

External links

• SUNY Labs 23:06-0104 - "Branches of Facial Nerve (CN VII)"
• Norman/Georgetown lesson4 (parotid3)
• Norman/Georgetown cranialnerves (VII)

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.