The alveolar process is the thickened ridge of bone that contains the tooth sockets on bones that bear teeth. It is also referred to as the alveolar bone. In humans, the tooth-bearing bones are the maxilla and the mandible. On the maxilla, the alveolar process is a ridge on the inferior surface, and on the mandible it is a ridge on the superior surface. It makes up the thickest part of the maxilla. The buccinator muscle attaches to the alveolar processes of both the maxilla and mandible.
