Corpus: Buccal nerve

The buccal nerve is a sensory nerve branch of the mandibular nerve (nerve V3) that diverges from it in the infratemporal fossa. It connects to both, the facial nerve and the tympanic nerve.

The buccal nerve travels between the two heads of the lateral pterygoid muscle, often alongside the motor fibres of the minor portion of the trigeminal nerve, moving in a rostral direction. It then continues caudally beneath the tendon of the temporalis muscle, accompanied by the buccal artery. The nerve then emerges at the anterior edge of the masseter muscle, pierces the buccinator muscle, and branches out on its surface.

The buccal nerve transmits sensory stimuli from the skin over the cheek and from the buccal and vestibular oral mucosa in the area of the molars.

The parasympathetic fibres of the buccal nerve innervate the buccal glands.