The buccal nerve is a branch of the anterior division of the mandibular nerve (V3) that passes between the two heads of the lateral pterygoid muscle and emerges at the anterior border of the masseter to supply sensory innervation to the skin and mucosa of the cheek, the buccal gingiva of the lower molars, and the buccal mucosa. It is purely sensory and must not be confused with the buccal branch of the facial nerve, which is a motor nerve to the buccinator and perioral muscles.
The buccal nerve provides sensation to the cheek and the buccal gingiva adjacent to the lower molar teeth. In dental practice, it is blocked as part of the inferior alveolar nerve block for complete mandibular anaesthesia for lower molar extraction. It is at risk during intraoral surgical approaches to the mandibular ramus. The buccal fat pad, commonly encountered in cosmetic buccal fat removal procedures, is closely related to the course of this nerve.
Retraction or incision during lower third molar (wisdom tooth) extraction can injure the buccal nerve, causing numbness or dysaesthesia of the cheek mucosa and skin, usually transient but occasionally permanent, reported in approximately 1-5% of lower third molar surgeries.
This website uses cookies to enhance your experience. Some are essential for site functionality, while others help us analyze and improve your usage experience. Please review your options and make your choice.
If you are under 16 years old, please ensure that you have received consent from your parent or guardian for any non-essential cookies.
Your privacy is important to us. You can adjust your cookie settings at any time. For more information about how we use data, please read our privacy policy. You may change your preferences at any time by clicking on the settings button below.
Note that if you choose to disable some types of cookies, it may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.
Some required resources have been blocked, which can affect third-party services and may cause the site to not function properly.
This website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and ensure the site functions properly. By continuing to use this site, you acknowledge and accept our use of cookies.
