Inferior alveolar nerve

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Nerve: Inferior alveolar nerve
Distribution of the maxillary and mandibular nerves, and the submaxillary ganglion. (Inferior alveolar visible at center left.)
Mandibular division of the trifacial nerve. (Inferior alveolar labeled at bottom right.)
Latin	nervus alveolaris inferior
Gray's	subject #200 896
Innervates	dental alveolus
From	mandibular nerve
To	mylohyoid, dental, incisive, and mental
Dorlands / Elsevier	n_05/12565154

The inferior alveolar nerve (sometimes called the inferior dental nerve) is a branch of the mandibular nerve, which is itself the third branch (V3) of the fifth cranial nerve, the trigeminal nerve (cranial nerve V).

Contents 1 Path 2 Anesthesia 3 Additional images 4 External links

[edit] Path

Before traversing the mandibular foramen, it first gives off the nerve to the mylohyoid, a motor nerve supplying the mylohyoid and the anterior belly of the digastric. It then enters the mandible via the mandibular foramen.

While in the mandibular canal within the mandible, it supplies the mandibular (lower) teeth with sensory branches that form into the inferior dental plexus and give off small gingival and dental nerves to the teeth.

Anteriorly, the nerve gives off the mental nerve at about the level of the mandibular 2nd premolars, which exits the mandible via the mental foramen (supplying sensory branches to the chin and lower lip).

The inferior alveolar nerve continues to innervate the mandibular canines and incisors.

[edit] Anesthesia

The inferior alveolar nerve is a common target for anesthesia during dental procedures involving the mandibular teeth.

Administration of anesthesia near the mandibular foramen causes blockage of the inferior alveolar nerve and the nearby lingual nerve (supplying the tongue). This is why the numbing of the lower jaw during dental procedures causes the patient to lose sensation in:

• their teeth (inferior alveolar nerve block)
• their lower lip and chin (mental nerve block)
• and their tongue (lingual nerve block).

[edit] Additional images

Mandible of human embryo 95 mm. long. Inner aspect. Nuclei of cartilage stippled.

Mandibular division of trifacial nerve, seen from the middle line.

[edit] External links

• SUNY Figs 27:03-06
• MedEd at Loyola GrossAnatomy/h_n/cn/cn1/cnb3.htm
• Norman/Georgetown lesson4 (mandibularnerve)
• Norman/Georgetown cranialnerves (V)

v • d • e The cranial nerves: trigeminal nerve ophthalmic (V1) frontal: supratrochlear - supraorbital (lateral branch, medial branch) nasociliary: long ciliary - infratrochlear - posterior ethmoidal - anterior ethmoidal (external nasal, internal nasal) - sensory root of ciliary ganglion (ciliary ganglion) lacrimal maxillary (V2) in meninges middle meningeal in pterygopalatine fossa zygomatic (zygomaticotemporal, zygomaticofacial) - pterygopalatine (pterygopalatine ganglion see below for details) - posterior superior alveolar in infraorbital canal infraorbital nerve: superior alveolar (middle, anterior) - internal nasal branches on face inferior palpebral - external nasal - superior labial (infraorbital plexus) mandibular (V3) in meninges meningeal anterior to muscles of mastication (medial pterygoid/to tensor veli palatini, lateral pterygoid, masseteric, deep temporal) - buccal posterior auriculotemporal (otic ganglion) - lingual (submandibular ganglion) - inferior alveolar (mylohyoid, mental)