In facial anatomy, the modiolus is a chiasma of facial muscles held together by fibrous tissue, located lateral and slightly superior to each angle of the mouth. It is important in moving the mouth

Mouth

The mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food andsaliva. The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth....

, facial expression

Facial expression

A facial expression one or more motions or positions of the muscles in the skin. These movements convey the emotional state of the individual to observers. Facial expressions are a form of nonverbal communication. They are a primary means of conveying social information among humans, but also occur...

 and in dentistry

Dentistry

Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...

. It derives its motor nerve supply from the facial nerve

Facial nerve

The facial nerve is the seventh of twelve paired cranial nerves. It emerges from the brainstem between the pons and the medulla, and controls the muscles of facial expression, and functions in the conveyance of taste sensations from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue and oral cavity...

, and its blood supply from labial branches of the facial artery

Facial artery

The facial artery is a branch of the external carotid artery that supplies structures of the superficial face.-Structure:...

.

It is contributed to by the following muscles: orbicularis oris, buccinator

Buccinator

The buccinator muscle is a muscle at the side of the face.Buccinator may also refer to:* Buccinator artery * Buccinator lymph node* Buccinator nerve * An ancient Roman buccina player...

, levator anguli oris

Levator anguli oris

The levator anguli oris is a facial muscle of the mouth arising from the canine fossa, immediately below the infraorbital foramen....

, depressor anguli oris, zygomaticus major, risorius

Risorius

The risorius is a muscle of facial expression which arises in the fascia over the parotid gland and, passing horizontally forward, superficial to the platysma, inserts onto the skin at the angle of the mouth...

, platysma.