The inferior alveolar artery (inferior dental artery) is an

artery An artery () is a blood vessel in humans and most other animals that takes oxygenated blood away from the heart in the systemic circulation to one or more parts of the body. Exceptions that carry deoxygenated blood are the pulmonary arteries in ...

of the head. It is a branch of (the first part of) the

maxillary artery The maxillary artery (eg, internal maxillary artery) supplies deep structures of the face. It branches from the external carotid artery just deep to the neck of the mandible. Structure The maxillary artery, the larger of the two terminal branches ...

. It descends through the

infratemporal fossa The infratemporal fossa is an irregularly shaped cavity that is a part of the skull. It is situated below and medial to the zygomatic arch. It is not fully enclosed by bone in all directions. It contains superficial muscles, including the lower ...

as part of a

neurovascular bundle A neurovascular bundle is a structure that binds nerves and veins (and in some cases arteries and lymphatics) with connective tissue so that they travel in tandem through the body. Structure There are two types of neurovascular bundles: superfici ...

with the

inferior alveolar nerve The inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) (also the inferior dental nerve) is a sensory branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3) (which is itself the third branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)). The nerve provides sensory innervation to the lower/mandibu ...

and vein to the

mandibular foramen The mandibular foramen is an opening on the internal surface of the ramus of the mandible. It allows for divisions of the mandibular nerve and blood vessels to pass through. Structure The mandibular foramen is an opening on the internal surfac ...

where it enters and passes anteriorly inside the mandible, supplying the body of mandible and the

dental pulp The pulp is the connective tissue, nerves, blood vessels, and odontoblasts that comprise the innermost layer of a tooth. The pulp's activity and signalling processes regulate its behaviour. Anatomy The pulp is the neurovascular bundle cen ...

of the lower molar and premolar teeth. Its terminal incisor branch supplies the rest of the lower teeth. Its mental branch exits the mandibula anteriorly through the

mental foramen The mental foramen is one of two foramina (openings) located on the anterior surface of the mandible. It is part of the mandibular canal. It transmits the terminal branches of the inferior alveolar nerve and the mental vessels. Structure Th ...

to supply adjacent lip and skin.

Structure

Course

It passes inferior-ward through the

as part of a

with the

and vein to the

. In the infratemporal fossa, it is situated posterior to the

, lateral to the skull, and medial to the

sphenomandibular ligament The sphenomandibular ligament (internal lateral ligament) is one of the three ligaments of the temporomandibular joint. It is situated medially to - and generally separate from - the articular capsule of the joint. Superiorly, it is attached to th ...

. It enters the

(of the medial surface of the

ramus of the mandible In jawed vertebrates, the mandible (from the Latin ''mandibula'', 'for chewing'), lower jaw, or jawbone is a bone that makes up the lowerand typically more mobilecomponent of the mouth (the upper jaw being known as the maxilla). The jawbone ...

) to come to pass anterior-ward within the mandibular canal alongside the

. Within the canal, it provides arterial supply to the mandibular/lower molar and premolar teeth before splitting into its two terminal branches (incisive branch and mental branch) close to the first premolar.

Branches

The inferior alveolar artery and its incisor branch during their course through mandibular canal issue a few twigs which are lost in the cancellous tissue, and a series of branches which correspond in number to the number of the roots of the

teeth A tooth (: teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...

: these enter the minute apertures at the extremities of the roots of the teeth to supply the pulp of the teeth.

Lingual branch

Near to its origin, the inferior alveolar artery issues a lingual branch which passes inferior-ward alongside the

lingual nerve The lingual nerve carries sensory innervation from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. It contains fibres from both the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve (CN V) and from the facial nerve (CN VII). The fibres from the trigeminal nerve ...

. It provides arterial supply to 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 tongue.

Incisor branch

The ''incisor branch'' is continued anterior-ward inferior to the

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 ...

teeth as far as the midline where it anastomoses with its contralateral partner (sometimes an incisor branch continue across the midline to the other side).

Mental branch

The ''mental branch'' exits the mandibula anteriorly at the

alongside the mental nerve. It provides arterial supply to the chin, supplying adjacent skin and lip. It forms anastomoses with the submental and inferior labial arteries.

Mylohyoid branch

The inferior alveolar artery emits the ''mylohyoid branch'' before entering the

. The branch pierces the

to come to pass inferior-ward along the mylohyoid groove (which occurs upon the interior surface of the

ramus of mandible In jawed vertebrates, the mandible (from the Latin ''mandibula'', 'for chewing'), lower jaw, or jawbone is a bone that makes up the lowerand typically more mobilecomponent of the mouth (the upper jaw being known as the maxilla). The jawbone ...

) accompanied by the mylohyoid nerve. The branch ramifies upon the

mylohyoid muscle The mylohyoid muscle or diaphragma oris is a paired muscle of the neck. It runs from the Human mandible, mandible to the hyoid bone, forming the floor of the oral cavity of the human mouth, mouth. It is named after its two attachments near the mo ...

and provides arterial supply to this muscle. It forms anastomoses with the submental branch of the facial artery.

Additional images

Image:Gray782.png,

Mandibular division In neuroanatomy, the mandibular nerve (V) is the largest of the three divisions of the trigeminal nerve, the fifth Cranial nerves, cranial nerve (CN V). Unlike the other divisions of the trigeminal nerve (ophthalmic nerve, maxillary nerve) which ...

trigeminal nerve In neuroanatomy, the trigeminal nerve (literal translation, lit. ''triplet'' nerve), also known as the fifth cranial nerve, cranial nerve V, or simply CN V, is a cranial nerve responsible for Sense, sensation in the face and motor functions ...

, seen from the middle line. File:External carotid artery with branches.jpg, External carotid artery with branches

References

External links

* () {{Authority control Arteries of the head and neck