The cheeks (Latin: buccae) constitute the area of the face below the eyes and between the nose and the left or right ear.

(Some saliva is collected from inside the mouth, e.g. using a cotton-tipped rod called a swab or "Q-Tip".

The cheeks are covered externally by hairy skin, and internally by stratified squamous epithelium.

[2] The mucosa is supplied with secretions from the buccal glands, which are arranged in superior and inferior groups.

In some vertebrates, markings on the cheek area, particularly immediately beneath the eye, often serve as important distinguishing features between species or individuals.