Inferior alveolar nerve
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| Nerve: Inferior alveolar nerve | ||
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| Distribution of the maxillary and mandibular nerves, and the submaxillary ganglion. (Inferior alveolar visible at center left.) | ||
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| 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).
The inferior alveolar nerve enters the mandible (lower jaw) via the mandibular foramen, located on the medial surface of the mandible.
The inferior alveolar nerve is located in the mandibular canal within the mandible, where it supplies the mandibular (lower) teeth with sensory branches.
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)
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