How Many Bones are Found in the Human Face?

The facial skeleton is made up of 14 bones that have various anatomic features and embryological forms (2 unpaired and 6 paired). The paired bones are nasal bones, palatine bones, inferior nasal conchae, maxillae, lacrimal bones, zygomatic bones whereas, vomer and mandible are unpaired bones of this group.

Types of Facial Bones

1. Nasal bones: The nasal bones are two little oblong bones that vary in size and shape between people; they are located side by side at the middle and upper region of the face and create the bridge of the top one-third of the nose by joining at the midline internasal suture.

2. Palatine bones: The palatine bones are two irregular bones of the face skeleton positioned above the uvula in the neck. They form the hard palate, together with the maxillae.

3. Inferior nasal conchae: The inferior nasal concha is a lamina of spongy bone folded into itself like a scroll that stretches horizontally down the lateral wall of the nasal cavity. The air is thrashed against these mucosa-lined bones as it travels through the turbinate bones and receives warmth, moisture, and cleaning. Middle and superior nasal concha emerge from the cranial section of the skull's ethmoid bone. As a result, these two are classified as cranial bones.

4. Maxillae: The maxilla is the top fixed bone of the jaw created by the fusion of two maxillary bones. The upper jaw in humans contains the hard palate in the front of the mouth. The anterior nasal spine is formed when the two maxillary bones merge at the intermaxillary suture.

5. Lacrimal bone: The lacrimal bone is a tiny and delicate bone of the facial skeleton, about the size of a little fingernail. It is located near the front of the orbit's medial wall. It has two surfaces as well as four boundaries. Several bony landmarks of the lacrimal bone play roles in lacrimation or weeping. The lacrimal bone, in particular, aids in forming the nasolacrimal canal, which is required for tear transfer.

6. Zygomatic bone: The zygomatic bone is a paired irregular bone in the human skull that articulates with the maxilla, temporal bone, sphenoid bone, and frontal bone. It creates the prominence of the cheek. It has a malar and a temporal surface, as well as four processes (frontosphenoidal, orbital, maxillary, and temporal) and four boundaries.

7. Vomer: The vomer is one of the skull's unpaired face bones. It articulates with the sphenoid, ethmoid, left and right palatine bones, and left and right maxillary bones along the midsagittal line. In humans, the vomer forms the inferior section of the nasal septum. The term comes from the Latin word (for plowshare) due to the form of the bone.

8. Mandible: The mandible, often known as the lower jaw or jawbone, is the biggest, strongest, and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It shapes the lower jaw and secures the lower teeth. The mandible is located below the maxilla. It is the only bone in the skull that can move (discounting the ossicles of the middle ear). The temporomandibular joints link it to the temporal bones.