The buccinator (/ˈbʌksɪneɪtər/[2][3]) is a thin quadrilateral muscle occupying the interval between the maxilla and the mandible at the side of the face.

[4] It arises from the outer surfaces of the alveolar processes of the maxilla and mandible, corresponding to the three pairs of molar teeth and in the mandible, it is attached upon the buccinator crest posterior to the third molar;[5] and behind, from the anterior border of the pterygomandibular raphe which separates it from the constrictor pharyngis superior.

This action causes the muscle to keep food pushed back on the occlusal surface of the posterior teeth, as when a person chews.

By keeping the food in the correct position when chewing, the buccinator assists the muscles of mastication.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 384 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)