Anterior superior alveolar nerve

Anterior superior alveolar nerve
Distribution of the maxillary and mandibular nerves, and the submaxillary ganglion.
Alveolar branches of superior maxillary nerve and sphenopalatine ganglion.
Details
From	Infraorbital nerve
Innervates	Dental alveolus
Identifiers
Latin	rami alveolares superiores anteriores nervi maxillaris, ramus alveolaris superior anteriores
TA98	A14.2.01.052
TA2	6241
FMA	52935
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy [edit on Wikidata]

The anterior superior alveolar nerve (or anterior superior dental nerve) is a branch of the infraorbital nerve (itself a branch of the maxillary nerve (CN V₂)).^[1] It passes through the canalis sinuosus to reach and innervate upper front teeth. Through its nasal branch, it also innervates parts of the nasal cavity.

Anatomy

Course and distribution

It branches from the infraorbital nerve within the infraorbital canal^[1][2] at around the midpoint of this canal and enters the canalis sinuosus. It passes through towards the nose before passing inferior-ward and ramifying^[2] into branches which innervate the upper/maxillary incisor and canine teeth;^[1][2] it usually innervates all the anterior teeth.^{[citation needed]}

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 of the floor and anterior portion of lateral wall (as far superiorly as the opening of the maxillary sinus) of the nasal cavity. It ultimately emerges close to the root of the anterior nasal spine to innervate the adjacent portion of nasal septum.^[2]

Communications

The nerve participates in the formation of the superior dental plexus^[2] by looping posterior-ward to^{[citation needed]} communicate with the middle superior alveolar nerve.^[3]

The nasal branch communicates with nasal branches of the sphenopalatine ganglion.^[2]

See also

• Anterior superior alveolar arteries
• Alveolar nerve (Dental nerve)

• Superior alveolar nerve (Superior dental nerve)

• Middle superior alveolar nerve (Middle superior dental nerve)
• Posterior superior alveolar nerve (Posterior superior dental nerve)

• Inferior alveolar nerve (Inferior dental nerve)

References

1. Jones, Frederic Wood (July 1939). "The anterior superior alveolar nerve and vessels". Journal of Anatomy. 73 (Pt 4): 583–591. PMC 1252464. PMID 17104781.
2. Standring, Susan (2020). Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice (42th ed.). New York. p. 656. ISBN 978-0-7020-7707-4. OCLC 1201341621.
3. Gray, Henry (1918). Gray's Anatomy (20th ed.). p. 891.

External links

• MedEd at Loyola GrossAnatomy/h_n/cn/cn1/cnb2.htm
• cranialnerves at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (V)