Cheeks

The cheeks consist of an outer skin side and an inner vestibular side that faces the teeth and tongue. The vestibular side is lined by stratified, non-keratinized epithelium covering a dense irregular collagenous (fig. 17) connective tissue that contains minor salivary glands and sebaceous glands known as Fordyce's granules or spots (fig. 18). These sebaceous glands can be seen with the unaided eye and are more common in older adults. The spots are yellowish-white in color, especially in the area where the upper and lower teeth meet (fig. 18).