Corpus: Inferior alveolar nerve

The inferior alveolar nerve is the largest branch of the mandibular nerve. It runs through the alveolar canal of the lower jaw.

The inferior alveolar nerve meets the inferior alveolar artery below the lateral pterygoid muscle and travels with it through the pterygomandibular space to the mandibular foramen on the ascending mandibular ramus. It runs through the alveolar canal of the mandible, below the teeth, to the mental foramen, where one of its branches, the mental nerve, emerges.

• Mylohoyoid nerve: This branch splits off before the nerve enters the mandibular foramen, runs downward, and supplies the muscles of the floor of the mouth (the mylohyoid muscle and the anterior head of the digastric muscle).
• Dental branches (Rami dentales): These branches supply the posterior teeth (premolars and molars) and form the inferior dental plexus. The number of nerve branches corresponds to the number of tooth roots.
• Incisive branch (Ramus Incisivus): This branch supplies the canine and anterior teeth.
• Mental nerve: This branch emerges from the mental foramen and supplies the chin and lower lip.

The inferior alveolar nerve is often targeted with a conduction anesthetic during dental procedures in the lower jaw to numb the area.