The anterior superior alveolar nerve (or anterior superior dental nerve) is a branch of the

infraorbital nerve The infraorbital nerve is a branch of the maxillary nerve (itself a branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)). It arises in the pterygopalatine fossa. It passes through the inferior orbital fissure to enter the orbit. It travels through the orbit, ...

(itself a branch of the maxillary nerve (CN V₂)). It passes through the

canalis sinuosus The canalis sinuosus is a passage within the maxilla through which the anterior superior alveolar nerve, artery and vein pass. The proximal opening of the canal occurs near the mid-point of the infraorbital canal. From its proximal opening, the c ...

to reach and innervate upper front teeth. Through its nasal branch, it also innervates parts of the

nasal cavity The nasal cavity is a large, air-filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face. The nasal septum divides the cavity into two cavities, also known as fossae. Each cavity is the continuation of one of the two nostrils. The nas ...

Anatomy

Course and distribution

It branches from the infraorbital nerve within the infraorbital canal at around the midpoint of this canal and enters the

. It passes through towards the nose before passing inferior-ward and ramifying into branches which innervate the upper/maxillary

incisor Incisors (from Latin ''incidere'', "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, wher ...

and

canine teeth In mammalian oral anatomy, the canine teeth, also called cuspids, dogteeth, eye teeth, vampire teeth, or fangs, are the relatively long, pointed teeth. In the context of the upper jaw, they are also known as '' fangs''. They can appear more fl ...

; it usually innervates all the anterior teeth.

Nasal branch

It issues a nasal branch which passes through a minute canal in the lateral wall of the inferior nasal meatus and innervates the

mucous membrane A mucous membrane or mucosa is a membrane that lines various cavities in the body of an organism and covers the surface of internal organs. It consists of one or more layers of epithelial cells overlying a layer of loose connective tissue. It ...

of the floor and anterior portion of lateral wall (as far superiorly as the opening of the maxillary sinus) of the

. It ultimately emerges close to the root of the

anterior nasal spine The anterior nasal spine, or anterior nasal spine of maxilla, is a bony projection in the skull that serves as a cephalometric landmark. The anterior nasal spine is the projection formed by the fusion of the two maxillary bones at the intermaxill ...

to innervate the adjacent portion of

nasal septum The nasal septum () separates the left and right airways of the Human nose, nasal cavity, dividing the two nostrils. It is Depression (kinesiology), depressed by the depressor septi nasi muscle. Structure The fleshy external end of the nasal s ...

Communications

The nerve participates in the formation of the superior dental plexus by looping posterior-ward to communicate with the middle superior alveolar nerve. The nasal branch communicates with nasal branches of the

sphenopalatine ganglion The pterygopalatine ganglion (aka Meckel's ganglion, nasal ganglion, or sphenopalatine ganglion) is a parasympathetic ganglion in the pterygopalatine fossa. It is one of four parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck, (the others being the su ...

References

External links