Facial Bones

Updated November 5, 2024

Fourteen (14) facial bones are part of the human skull.

• 2 lacrimal bones
• 2 nasal bones
• 2 palatine bones
• 2 zygomatic bones
• 2 inferior nasal conchae
• Vomer bone
• 2 maxillae
• Mandible

The distinct features of the human face are caused by the facial bones. The zygomatic bones are the cheekbones, creating the zygomatic arch with the temporal bones. The two tiny nasal bones that form the upper bridge of the nose are supported by the two inferior nasal conchae and the vomer bone that form and extend from the nasal cavity, attaching it to the cranial bones. The maxilla consists of two bones that fuse under the nose form the upper jaw. They contain the top teeth. The roof of the mouth is similarly formed by the fusion of the two palatine bones.

The mandible is the lower jaw, or jaw bone. It contains the lower teeth and joins at the temporal bone via the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

The eye sockets, or orbits, are formed by the orbital plates of the:

• frontal bone
• maxilla
• zygomatic bones
• nasal bones

The two lacrimal bones also form a small part of the orbits where they meet the maxilla. At this meeting is a depression for the tear ducts (lacrimal sacs). The back of the orbit is the sphenoid bone and part of the palatine bone.

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