Mental nerve

Mental nerve
Distribution of the maxillary and mandibular nerves, and the submaxillary ganglion. (Mental nerve visible at bottom right, at chin.)
Sensory areas of the head, showing the general distribution of the three divisions of the fifth nerve. (Mental nerve labeled at bottom left, near chin, in yellow.)
Details
From inferior alveolar nerve
Innervates chin, lower lip
Identifiers
Latin nervus mentalis
TA A14.2.01.094
FMA 53250
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

Mental nerve is a sensory nerve which provides sensation to the front of the chin and lower lip as well as the labial gingivae of the mandibular anterior teeth and the premolars. It is a branch of the posterior trunk of the inferior alveolar nerve, which is itself a branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve (CN V).

The nerve emerges at the mental foramen in the mandible, and divides beneath the Depressor anguli oris muscle into three branches:

  • one descends to the skin of the chin.
  • two ascend to the skin and mucous membrane of the lower lip.

These branches communicate freely with the facial nerve.

Clinical significance

The mental nerve can be blocked with local anesthesia, a procedure used in surgery of the chin, lower lip and buccal mucosa from midline to the second premolar. In this technique, local anesthetic is infiltrated in the soft tissue surrounding the mental foramen.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 897 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

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