Athena Vale
The human face has about 20 skeletal muscles that attach to different places on the skull, enabling us to chew and make facial expressions. One such muscle is the orbicularis oris, a complex, multi-layered muscle that encircles the mouth and forms the majority of the lips. It is also known as the kissing muscle, as it puckers the lips.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Orbicularis Oris |
| Location | Lips |
| Parts | Labial, Marginal |
| Function | Closes the mouth, protrudes the lips, puckers the lips, influences the thickness of the labial flange, produces movements of the lips |
| Blood Supply | Superior and Inferior Labial branches of the Facial Artery, Maxillary Artery, Superficial Temporal Artery |
| Nerve Supply | Buccal and Marginal Mandibular branches of the Facial Nerve |
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What You'll Learn
The Orbicularis Oris is the main muscle of the lip
The Orbicularis Oris is responsible for various movements of the mouth and lips, such as puckering, pursing, and protruding the lips, as well as closing the mouth. It is often referred to as the "kissing muscle" due to its role in puckering the lips. This muscle is also important for whistling and playing certain musical instruments, such as brass and woodwind instruments.
The Orbicularis Oris is innervated by the buccal and marginal mandibular branches of the facial nerve (CN VII). Its primary blood supply comes from the superior and inferior labial branches of the facial artery, with additional contributions from the maxillary artery and the superficial temporal artery.
The tone and function of the Orbicularis Oris are influenced by the support it receives from the labial flange in the labial vestibule. When the mouth is open wide, the muscle stretches, and its proper orientation is crucial for normal function. In cleft lip cases, restoring the anatomical and functional components of the upper lip, which includes the Orbicularis Oris, is critical in reconstruction surgery.
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It is composed of four independent quadrants
The muscle that encircles the mouth is called the orbicularis oris muscle. It is the main muscle of the lip and is responsible for various movements of the orofacial region and also contributes to the contour of the lip region. It is composed of four independent quadrants that interlace and give only an appearance of circularity. It is a complex, multi-layered muscle that attaches through a thin, superficial musculoaponeurotic system to the dermis of the upper and lower lips. It is also functionally important for whistling and is often referred to as the "kissing muscle" because it puckers the lips when it contracts.
The orbicularis oris muscle is not a true sphincter, as was once thought. Instead, it consists of numerous strata of muscular fibres surrounding the orifice of the mouth, but having different directions. It consists partly of fibres derived from other facial muscles inserted into the lips and partly of fibres proper to the lips. A considerable number of these fibres are derived from the buccinator muscle and form the deeper stratum of the orbicularis oris.
The marginal portion of the orbicularis oris passes from the modiolus on one side to the modiolus on the other side of the mouth. Some of the fibres curl upon themselves, forming the vermilion border, which is the demarcation between the lips and the adjacent skin. The function of the orbicularis oris is to produce movements of the lips. A bilateral contraction of the entire muscle brings the lips together and closes the mouth. An isolated contraction of certain parts of the muscle can produce different movements of the mouth, such as lip pouting, puckering, twisting, and others.
The orbicularis oris muscle develops from two embryonic laminae: the mandibular lamina and the infraorbital lamina. The mandibular lamina differentiates partially into the lower fibres of the muscle, while the infraorbital lamina develops into the upper fibres of the muscle. The main blood supply of this muscle is from the facial artery, specifically the superior and inferior labial branches. It also receives a blood supply from the maxillary artery via the mental and infra-orbital branches.
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The muscle closes the mouth and puckers the lips
The human face has about 20 skeletal muscles that attach to different places on the skull. These muscles are involved in chewing and making facial expressions. The facial muscles are positioned around facial openings (mouth, eye, nose and ear) or stretch across the skull and neck.
The muscle that encircles the mouth is called the orbicularis oris. It is a complex, multi-layered muscle that attaches through a thin, superficial musculoaponeurotic system to the dermis of the upper and lower lips. The orbicularis oris is composed of two parts: the labial and marginal. The marginal portion passes from the modiolus on one side to the modiolus on the other side of the mouth. The modiolus is a fibromuscular structure found on the lateral sides of the mouth where several facial muscles converge.
The orbicularis oris is the main muscle of the lip and is responsible for various movements of the orofacial region. It is also functionally important for whistling and playing brass and some woodwind instruments. A bilateral contraction of the entire muscle brings the lips together and closes the mouth. An isolated contraction of certain parts of the muscle can produce different movements of the mouth, such as lip pouting, puckering, and twisting.
The orbicularis oris is innervated by the buccal and marginal mandibular branches of the facial nerve (CN VII). Its blood supply mainly comes from the superior and inferior labial branches of the facial artery, with contributions from the mental and infraorbital branches of the maxillary artery and the transverse facial branch of the superficial temporal artery.
Some newborns may be born with an absence of the orbicularis oris on one side of the face, resulting in a partial droop on the affected side. Tension on this muscle can cause smoker's lines or vertical lip lines on the upper and lower lips.
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It is also known as the kissing muscle
The orbicularis oris is a muscle of facial expression of the mouth. It is a complex, multi-layered muscle that encircles the mouth and forms the majority of the lips. The orbicularis oris is not a simple sphincter muscle, but rather it is composed of four independent quadrants that interlace and give the appearance of circularity. This muscle is responsible for various movements of the mouth and lips, including closing the mouth, protruding the lips, and producing movements such as lip pouting, puckering, and twisting.
The orbicularis oris is also known as the kissing muscle due to its function in puckering the lips. It is composed of two parts: the labial and marginal. The marginal portion passes from the modiolus on one side to the modiolus on the other side of the mouth, with some fibres curling upon themselves to form the vermilion border, which demarcates the lips from the surrounding skin. The labial part surrounds the orifice of the mouth and is responsible for the circular appearance of the muscle.
The orbicularis oris muscle is innervated by the buccal and marginal mandibular branches of the facial nerve (CN VII). Its blood supply primarily comes from the superior and inferior labial branches of the facial artery, with additional contributions from the maxillary artery and the superficial temporal artery. The muscle receives nerve supply from the buccal and mandibular branches of the facial nerve, which derives from the second pharyngeal arch.
The orbicularis oris is the main muscle of the lip and plays a critical role in the contour of the lip region. Its tone depends on the support it receives from the labial flange, which lies in the labial vestibule. When the mouth is open wide, the muscle stretches, and the sulcus narrows. If the teeth are positioned too far forward, the orbicularis oris can become stretched, affecting its function.
Some newborns may be born with the absence of the orbicularis oris on one side of the face, resulting in a partial droop. Tension on this muscle can lead to vertical lip lines, often referred to as "smoker's lines." Treatment for these lines involves botulinum toxin injections directly into the muscle.
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It is one of the muscles used in playing brass and woodwind instruments
The muscle that encircles the mouth is called the orbicularis oris. It is a circular composite muscle that forms the majority of the lips. The orbicularis oris is one of the muscles used in playing brass and woodwind instruments.
Embouchure is the use of the lips, facial muscles, tongue, and teeth in playing a wind instrument. It involves shaping the lips to the mouthpiece of a woodwind or brass instrument. The orbicularis oris is used to pucker the lips and close the mouth. It is also used to protrude the lips, which is important for whistling. Brass embouchures depend on a motion where the performer moves the mouthpiece and lips as a single unit along the teeth in an upward and downward direction. This motion affects the pitch of the instrument.
Woodwind instruments, on the other hand, such as the clarinet and saxophone, use a single lip embouchure. The reed is rested upon the bottom lip, which is supported by the chin muscles and the buccinator muscles on the sides of the mouth. The top teeth then rest on the mouthpiece. Flute players also tend to struggle with the depressor muscle, which is necessary for directing the flow of air across the embouchure hole.
Playing wind instruments can lead to changes in dento-facial morphology and facial, oral, and neck muscle activation. These changes can cause tooth positioning and facial morphology changes in both children and adults. Additionally, playing wind instruments can lead to musculoskeletal stress and the risk of muscle pain and injury.
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Frequently asked questions
The muscle that encircles the mouth is called the orbicularis oris.
The orbicularis oris is the muscle that closes the mouth and protrudes the lips. It is also known as the "kissing muscle" because it puckers the lips.
The orbicularis oris is a complex, multi-layered muscle that attaches to the dermis of the upper and lower lips. It is composed of four independent quadrants that interlace and give the appearance of circularity.
