Facial Muscles

• Sinuses that communicate with the nasal cavity


  • Frontal
  • Ethmoidal
  • Sphenoidal
  • Maxillary or antrum of Highmore
• Muscles of the head

  • Muscles of facial expression
  • Muscles of mastication
• Muscles of expression

  Enable one to express emotional states
• Muscles of mastication

  Assist in digestion
• Occipitofrontalis

  • Divided into two muscles: Occipital and Frontal
  • Held together by an aponeurosis
  • Occipital arises from the mastoid temporal bone and inserts in the aponeurosis
  • Frontal arises from the aponeurosis and inserts in the region of the eyebrows
• Action of Occipitofrontalis

  Frontal elevates the eyebrows; Occipital draws scalp backwards
• Corrugator

  • Origin: medial end of the superciliary arch
  • Insertion: skin of the forehead
  • Action: wrinkles the skin of the forehead vertically
• Buccinator


  • Origin: alveolar processes of the maxilla and the mandible
  • Fibers converge toward the angle of the mouth
  • Insertion: orbicularis oris
  • Action: compresses the cheeks during mastication, keeping the food under pressure of teeth
• Zygomaticus

  • Origin: Zygomatic bone
  • Insertion: orbicularis oris
  • Action: pulls angle of the mouth upward and backward
• Triangularis


  • Broad flat muscle arising from the oblique line of the mandible
  • Fibers converge and are inserted in the orbicularis oris
  • Action: depresses the angle of the mouth
• Risorius


  • Origin: fascia over the masseter muscle and passes horizontally forward
  • Insertion: skin at the angle of the mouth
  • Action: when contracted strongly, gives an expression of Strain and Tenseness
• Platysma


  • Broad sheet muscle
  • Origin: skin and fascia covering the pectoralis and deltoid muscles
  • Insertion: mandible and muscles near the angle of the mouth
  • Actions: depresses the mandible; draws down the lower lip and angle of the mouth; wrinkles the skin of the neck
• Quadratus labii superioris


  • Thin quadrangular muscle with three heads: Angular head, Infraorbital head, Zygomatic head
  • Actions: Elevates upper lip, Contraction of infraorbital head gives expression of sadness, When whole muscle contracts, gives an expression of Disdain and Contempt
• Quadratus labii inferioris


  • Small quadrilateral muscle
  • Origin: oblique line of the mandible upward and medialward
  • Insertion: skin of the lower lip and orbicularis oris
  • Action: draws lower lip downward as in expression of Irony
• Mentalis


  • Short thick muscle
  • Origin: Incisive fossa of the mandible
  • Insertion: Skin of the chin
  • Action: expresses Disdain and Doubt
• Nasal muscles


  • Nasalis
  • Depressor septi
  • Posterior dilator naris
  • Anterior dilator naris
• Procerus


  • Arises from the nasal bones and lateral nasal cartilage and inserts in the lower part of the forehead between the eyebrows
  • Action: to draw down the medial angle of the eyebrows and produces transverse wrinkles at the bridge of nose
• Orbicularis oris


  • Ring-shaped muscle of the mouth
  • Consists of numerous layers of muscular fibers which surround the opening of the mouth
  • Origin: other facial muscles; Insertion: lips
  • Origin: undersurface of skin; Insertion: Mucous membrane
  • Origin: maxilla and septum of nose; Insertion: Mandible
  • Action: compression and closure of lips; tightening lips over teeth; contracting them to cause pouting or kissing
• Levator palpebra superioris


  • Lifter of upper eyelid
  • Origin: Apex of the orbit and passes forward
  • Insertion: tarsal cartilage of the upper eyelid
  • Action: raises the upper eyelid and opens the eye
• Orbicularis oculi


  • Circular muscle of the eye
  • Origin: Nasal portion of frontal bone, Frontal process of maxilla, Medial palpebral ligament
  • Spreads lateral ward
  • Insertion: outer union of the upper and lower eyelids (palpebral portion)