The buccal fat pad is one of several encapsulated fat masses in the cheek. It is a deep fat pad located on either side of the face between the buccinator muscle

Buccinator muscle

The buccinator is a thin quadrilateral muscle, occupying the interval between the maxilla and the mandible at the side of the face.-Action:Its purpose is to pull back the angle of the mouth and to flatten the cheek area, which aids in holding the cheek to the teeth during chewing.It aids whistling...

 and several more superficial muscles (including the masseter

Masseter muscle

In human anatomy, the masseter is one of the muscles of mastication.In the animal kingdom, it is particularly powerful in herbivores to facilitate chewing of plant matter.-Origin and insertion of the two heads:...

, the zygomaticus major

Zygomaticus major muscle

The Zygomatic major is a muscle of the human body. It is a muscle of facial expression which draws the angle of the mouth superiorly and posteriorly . Like all muscles of facial expression, the zygomatic major is innervated by the facial nerve...

, and the zygomaticus minor

Zygomaticus minor muscle

The zygomaticus minor is a muscle of facial expression. It originates from malar bone and continues with orbicularis oculi on the lateral face of the Levator labii superioris and then inserts into the outer part of the upper lip. Do not confuse this with the Zygomaticus major, which insets into...

). It should not be confused with the malar fat pad, which is directly below the skin of the cheek. It should also not be confused with jowl fat pads. It is implicated in the formation of hollow cheeks and the nasolabial fold

Nasolabial fold

The nasolabial folds, commonly known as "smile lines" or "laugh lines," are facial features. They are the two skin folds that run from each side of the nose to the corners of the mouth. They separate the cheeks from the upper lip...

, but not in the formation of jowls.

Nomenclature and Structure

The Buccal fat pad is composed of several parts, although exactly how many parts seems to be a point of disagreement and no single consistent nomenclature of these parts has been observed. It was described as being divided into three lobes, the anterior, intermediate, and posterior, “according to the structure of the lobar envelopes, the formation of ligament

Ligament

In anatomy, the term ligament is used to denote any of three types of structures. Most commonly, it refers to fibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones and is also known as articular ligament, articular larua, fibrous ligament, or true ligament.Ligament can also refer to:* Peritoneal...

s, and the source of the nutritional vessels”. Also, there are four extensions from the body of the Buccal fat pad: the sublevator, the melolabial, the Buccal, and the pterygoid. The nomenclature of these extensions derives from their location and proximal muscles.

The anterior lobe of the Buccal fat surrounds the parotid duct

Parotid duct

The parotid duct, also known as Stensen's duct, is the route that saliva takes from the parotid gland into the mouth.It passes through the buccal fat, buccopharyngeal fascia, and buccinator muscle then opens into the vestibule of the mouth next to the maxillary second molar tooth. The buccinator...

, which conveys saliva from the parotid gland to the mouth. It is a triangular mass with one vertex at the buccinators, one at the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi

Levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle

The levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle is, translated from Latin, the "lifter of the upper lip and of the wing of the nose". It has the longest name of any muscle in an animal...

, and one at the orbicularis oris

Orbicularis oris muscle

In human anatomy, the orbicularis oris muscle is the sphincter muscle around the mouth."Orbicularis Oris is a complex of muscles in the lips that encircle the mouth; until recently it was misinterpreted as a sphincter, or circular muscle, but it is actually composed of four independent quadrants...

. The intermediate lobe lies between the anterior and posterior lobes over the maxilla.The intermediate lobe seems to lose a significant amount of volume between childhood and adulthood. The posterior lobe of the Buccal fat pad runs from the infraorbital fissure and temporal muscle to the upper rim of the mandible and back to the mandibular ramus.

Function

Some people describe the Buccal fat pad’s primary function in relation to chewing and suckling, especially in infants. This theory derives some support from the loss of volume to the intermediate lobe, which would be most directly involved in chewing and sucking, from infancy to adulthood.

Another proposed function is as gliding pads that facilitate the action of the muscles of mastication.

The Buccal fat pad may also function as a cushion to protect sensitive facial muscles from injury due to muscle action or exterior force.

Clinical Uses

The Buccal fat pad is commonly used in facial recontouring. Several authors discuss the importance of the Buccal fat pad in attaining good results from a facelift

Rhytidectomy

A facelift, technically known as a rhytidectomy , is a type of cosmetic surgery procedure used to give a more youthful appearance...

.

Buccal flaps (not always including the Buccal fat pad) are used in reconstruction of the periorbital area after injury. They are also used to repair congenital defects of the oral cavity or for repair of congenital cleft palate.

Removal of the Buccal fat pad

Buccal fat extraction

Buccal fat pad extraction is a plastic surgery procedure for reducing prominent cheeks, by the proportional removal of buccal fat-pad tissue.- Surgical procedure :...

is also sometimes used to reduce cheek prominence, although this procedure may carry with it a significant risk of damage to the Buccal branch of the facial nerve and the parotid ducts.