Inferior alveolar nerve
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Johan Smalberger had no recorded disclosures.
View Johan Smalberger's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Daniel J Bell had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Daniel J Bell's current disclosures- Inferior dental nerve
The inferior alveolar nerve, also known as inferior dental nerve, is a mixed sensory and motor branch of the posterior division of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve, located in the pterygomandibular space of the oral cavity/masticator space.
On this page:
Gross anatomy
The inferior alveolar nerve divides off the posterior division and descends posterior to the lingual nerve, deep to lateral pterygoid muscle and lateral to the pterygomandibular raphe, between the sphenomandibular ligament and the ramus of the mandible. It enters the mandibular foramen anterior to the inferior alveolar artery and vein. It then courses in the mandibular canal.
The inferior alveolar nerve has three major branches:
-
one of the two terminal branches
remains within the mandibular canal
supplies sensation to the pulp and periodontal membranes of the canine and both incisors
-
one of the two terminal branches
leaves the mandibular canal through the mental foramen, accompanied by the mental artery
supplies sensation to skin and mucous membrane of the lower lip and labial gum from the midline to second premolar tooth
In the mandibular canal, the nerve also gives off small unnamed twigs that contribute to the inferior dental plexus (supplying the mandibular three molar and two premolar teeth).
Variant anatomy
Some authors document the mental nerve carrying parasympathetic fibers from the otic ganglion to the labial glands of the lower lip.
Related pathology
References
- 1. Susan Standring. Gray's Anatomy. ISBN: 9780702052309
- 2. Last's anatomy, regional and applied. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:044304662X. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Robert H. Whitaker, Neil R. Borley. Instant Anatomy. ISBN: 9780632054039
- 4. Moore KL, Agur AMR, Dalley AF. Clinically oriented anatomy. LWW. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
Incoming Links
- Mental foramen
- Mandible
- Mylohyoid muscle
- Mandibular fracture
- Inferior alveolar nerve injury
- Mandibular canal
- Pterygomandibular raphe
- Trigeminal nerve
- Numb chin syndrome
- Posterior division of the mandibular nerve
- Masticator space
- Mandibular foramen
- Teeth
- Inferior alveolar artery
- Stafne bone cavity
- Nerve to mylohyoid
- Mental nerve
- Pterygomandibular space
- Incisive nerve
- Lingual nerve
Related articles: Anatomy: Head and neck
- skeleton of the head and neck
-
cranial vault
- scalp (mnemonic)
- fontanelle
-
sutures
- calvarial
- facial
- frontozygomatic suture
- frontomaxillary suture
- frontolacrimal suture
- frontonasal suture
- temporozygomatic suture
- zygomaticomaxillary suture
- parietotemporal suture (parietomastoid suture)
- occipitotemporal suture (occipitomastoid suture)
- sphenofrontal suture
- sphenozygomatic suture
- spheno-occipital suture (not a true suture)
- lacrimomaxillary suture
- nasomaxillary suture
- internasal suture
- basal/internal
- skull landmarks
- frontal bone
- temporal bone
- parietal bone
- occipital bone
- skull base (foramina)
-
facial bones
- midline single bones
- paired bilateral bones
- cervical spine
- hyoid bone
- laryngeal cartilages
-
cranial vault
- muscles of the head and neck
- muscles of the tongue (mnemonic)
- muscles of mastication
-
facial muscles
- epicranius muscle
- circumorbital and palpebral muscles
- nasal muscles
-
buccolabial muscles
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis muscle
- levator labii superioris muscle
- zygomaticus major muscle
- zygomaticus minor muscle
- levator anguli oris muscle
- malaris muscle
- risorius muscle
- depressors, retractors and evertors of the lower lip
- depressor labii inferioris muscle
- depressor anguli oris muscle
- mentalis muscle
- compound sphincter
-
orbicularis oris muscle
- incisivus labii superioris muscle
- incisivus labii inferioris muscle
-
orbicularis oris muscle
- muscle of mastication
- modiolus
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- muscles of the middle ear
- orbital muscles
- muscles of the soft palate
- pharyngeal muscles
- suprahyoid muscles
- infrahyoid muscles
- intrinsic muscles of the larynx
- muscles of the neck
- platysma muscle
- longus colli muscle
- longus capitis muscle
- scalenus anterior muscle
- scalenus medius muscle
- scalenus posterior muscle
- scalenus pleuralis muscle
- sternocleidomastoid muscle
-
suboccipital muscles
- rectus capitis posterior major muscle
- rectus capitis posterior minor muscle
- obliquus capitis superior muscle
- obliquus capitis inferior muscle
- accessory muscles of the neck
- deep cervical fascia
-
deep spaces of the neck
- anterior cervical space
- buccal space
- carotid space
- danger space
- deep cervical fascia
- infratemporal fossa
- masticator space
- parapharyngeal space
- stylomandibular tunnel
- parotid space
- pharyngeal (superficial) mucosal space
- perivertebral space
- posterior cervical space
- pterygopalatine fossa
- retropharyngeal space
- suprasternal space (of Burns)
- visceral space
- surgical triangles of the neck
- orbit
- ear
- paranasal sinuses
- upper respiratory tract
- viscera of the neck
- blood supply of the head and neck
-
arterial supply
-
common carotid artery
- carotid body
- carotid bifurcation
- subclavian artery
- variants
-
common carotid artery
- venous drainage
-
arterial supply
- innervation of the head and neck
-
cranial nerves
- olfactory nerve (CN I)
- optic nerve (CN II)
- oculomotor nerve (CN III)
- trochlear nerve (CN IV)
-
trigeminal nerve (CN V) (mnemonic)
- trigeminal ganglion
- ophthalmic division
- maxillary division
- mandibular division
- abducens nerve (CN VI)
- facial nerve (CN VII)
-
vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
- vestibular ganglion (Scarpa's ganglion)
- glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
- vagus nerve (CN X)
- (spinal) accessory nerve (CN XI)
- hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
- parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck
- cervical sympathetic ganglia
- greater occipital nerve
- third occipital nerve
-
cervical plexus
- muscular branches
- longus capitis
- longus colli
- scalenes
- geniohyoid
- thyrohyoid
-
ansa cervicalis
- omohyoid (superior and inferior bellies separately)
- sternothyroid
- sternohyoid
- phrenic nerve
- contribution to the accessory nerve (CN XI)
- cutaneous branches
- muscular branches
- brachial plexus
- pharyngeal plexus
-
cranial nerves
- lymphatic drainage of the head and neck
- embryological development of the head and neck
Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.