Muscle that draws mouth corners outward?

Prepare for the VTCT Level 2 Facial and Skincare Test. Revise with flashcards and multiple choice questions, accompanied by insightful explanations. Ace your assessment with confidence!

Multiple Choice

Muscle that draws mouth corners outward?

Drawing the corners of the mouth outward is done by a facial muscle that pulls the sides of the mouth toward the face’s sides, widening the mouth as in a grin. This muscle’s fibers attach near the cheek and insert at the skin at the corners of the mouth, so its contraction directly broadens the smile by pulling those corners outward. The other two muscles listed move the jaw (temporalis and masseter) or tighten the cheek (buccinator) but don’t primarily cause the mouth corners to move outward, making this muscle the one responsible for that specific action.

Drawing the corners of the mouth outward is done by a facial muscle that pulls the sides of the mouth toward the face’s sides, widening the mouth as in a grin. This muscle’s fibers attach near the cheek and insert at the skin at the corners of the mouth, so its contraction directly broadens the smile by pulling those corners outward. The other two muscles listed move the jaw (temporalis and masseter) or tighten the cheek (buccinator) but don’t primarily cause the mouth corners to move outward, making this muscle the one responsible for that specific action.

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