Corpus: Inferior alveolar artery
Synonym: inferior dental artery
1. Definition
The inferior alveolar artery is a branch of the maxillary artery.
2. Course
The inferior alveolar artery enters the mandibular canal through the mandibular foramen, accompanied by the inferior alveolar vein and the inferior alveolar nerve. Before entering the canal, it gives off a mylohyoid branch to supply the mylohyoid muscle.
Within the mandibular canal, the artery runs in a rostral direction alongside the nerve, giving off branches through small openings at the tip of the dental alveoli to supply the teeth and their pulp.
Near the first premolar, the inferior alveolar artery divides into a smaller incisive branch and a mental branch, also known as the mental artery. The incisive branch anastomoses with its counterpart on the opposite side, while the mental branch exits the lower jaw through the mental foramen to supply the tissue of the chin area. The mental branch anastomoses with the submental artery and the inferior labial artery.
3. Branches
- Mylohyoid branch
- Dental branch
- Incisive branch
- Mental artery (mental branch)