Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnatomy and FunctionAssociated ConditionsSymptomsTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Anatomy and Function
Associated Conditions
Symptoms
Treatment
The inferior alveolar nerve, also known as the inferior dental nerve, supplies sensations such as heat, cold, pressure, and pain to your lower jaw and teeth. It also controls the movement of certain muscles in the lower jaw.
The inferior alveolar nerve runs from the hinge of your lower jaw to the edge of your chin along the gumline. There is one inferior alveolar nerve on each side of your face.
Whenever an invasive dental procedure is performed, such as atooth extraction, your dentist will inject an anesthetic into the gum to help numb this nerve.
This article describes the location and function of the inferior alveolar nerve. It also lists conditions that can affect the nerve and explains how inferior alveolar nerve damage is treated.
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The inferior alveolar nerve is a sub-branch of thetrigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve is one of 12cranial nervesoriginating from the brain that exists in three major branches:
The inferior alveolar nerve branches off the mandibular nerve near the hinge of your jaw. It then enters a canal in the lower jaw called themandibular foramenbefore branching off to the root canal of each tooth and terminating at the chin.
Other branches extend to the gums, lower lip, and lower jaw muscles.
Theinferior alveolar nerve is a mixed nerve, meaning that it provides both motor and sensory functions. The nerve itself exists in three branches:
The inferior alveolar nerve is a major consideration for dentists andoral and maxillofacial surgeonswho need to perform invasive procedures on the lower jaw or teeth, such as:
In such cases, one or more injections of a local anesthetic—known as an inferior alveolar nerve block—can block pain signals to ensure pain-free treatment.
Causes of Inferior Alveolar Nerve Damage
Symptoms of Inferior Alveolar Nerve Damage
Inferior alveolar nerve damage can be permanent or short-lasting depending on the underlying cause. The impact of the damage can be substantial, affecting speech, eating or drinking, brushing your teeth, kissing, or performing everyday tasks like shaving or applying makeup.
Symptoms of damage to the inferior alveolar nerve include:
Rehabilitation and Treatment
The treatment of inferior alveolar nerve damage depends on the underlying cause. Conservative treatments include:
Conservative treatment is important since outcomes from surgeries like microvascular decompression (used to reduce pressure on the nerve) and percutaneous thermocoagulation (used to block nerve signals) are highly variable, favoring younger people over older people.
Some people with inferior alveolar nerve damage fully recover, particularly those who have incurred damage from a medical procedure like dental surgery. In most cases, complete recovery occurs within six to eight weeks, although some cases may take up to 24 months.
Summary
The inferior alveolar nerve is a branch of the trigeminal nerve that provides sensations and motor function to the lower jaw, lower teeth, lower lip, and inner cheek.
Certain conditions can directly damage the inferior alveolar nerve, including oral surgery, multiple sclerosis, benign tumors and cysts, and jaw fractures. The treatment of inferior alveolar nerve damage includes pain medications, Botox injections, and surgery.
Inferior alveolar nerve blocks are a form of local anesthesia used to prevent pain during oral procedures or surgeries.
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Iwanaga J, Choi PJ, Vetter M, et al.Anatomical study of the lingual nerve and inferior alveolar nerve in the pterygomandibular space: complications of the inferior alveolar nerve block.Cureus. 2018;10(8):e3109. doi:10.7759/cureus.3109Wolf KT, Brokaw EJ, Bell A, Joy A.Variant inferior alveolar nerves and implications for local anesthesia.Anesth Prog. 2016;63(2):84–90. doi:10.2344/0003-3006-63.2.84Dimitroulis G.Management of temporomandibular joint disorders: a surgeon’s perspective.Aust Dent J.2018;63:S79-S90. doi:10.1111/adj.12593Rahpeyma A, Khajehahmadi S.Mandibular body fracture during inferior alveolar nerve transposition: review of literature.Ann Maxillofac Surg.2019 Jan-Jun;9(1):218–220. doi:10.4103/ams.ams_2_19Li Y, Ling Z, Zhang H, et al.Association of the inferior alveolar nerve position and nerve injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Healthcare (Basel).2022 Sep;10(9):1782. doi:10.3390/healthcare10091782Gambeta E, Chichorro JG, Zamponi GW.Trigeminal neuralgia: an overview from pathophysiology to pharmacological treatments.Mol Pain. 2020;16:1744806920901890. doi:10.1177/1744806920901890Fallata A, Salter A, Tyry T, Cutter GR, Marrie RA.Trigeminal neuralgia commonly precedes the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.Int J MS Care. 2017;19(5):240-246. doi:10.7224/1537-2073.2016-065Mortazavi H, Baharvand M, Safi Y, Behnaz M.Common conditions associated with displacement of the inferior alveolar nerve canal: a radiographic diagnostic aid. Imaging Sci Dent.2019 Jun;49(2):79–86. doi:10.5624/isd.2019.49.2.79Renton T.Trigeminal nerve injury. In:Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for the Clinician. Singapore: Springer; 2021. doi:10.1007/978-981-15-1346-6_25Al-Quliti KW.Update on neuropathic pain treatment for trigeminal neuralgia: the pharmacological and surgical options.Neurosciences (Riyadh). 2015;20(2):107–14. doi:10.17712/nsj.2015.2.20140501Hwang JH, Ku J.Herbal medicine for the management of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia: a protocol for a systematic review of controlled trials.Medicine (Baltimore).2020 Jun 19;99(25):e20779. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000020779Egeo G, Fofi L, Barbanti P.Botulinum neurotoxin for the treatment of neuropathic pain.Front. Neurol.2020;11:2020. doi:10.3389/fneur.2020.00716Keric N, Kalasauskas D, Kreth SL, et al.An age-dependent outcome analysis of microvascular decompression and percutaneous thermocoagulation in trigeminal neuralgia.BMC Neurol.2021;21:182. doi:10.1186/s12883-021-02197-6Sarikov R, Juodzbalys G.Inferior alveolar nerve injury after mandibular third molar extraction: a literature review.J Oral Maxillofac Res.2014 Oct-Dec;5(4):e1. doi:10.5037/jomr.2014.5401
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Iwanaga J, Choi PJ, Vetter M, et al.Anatomical study of the lingual nerve and inferior alveolar nerve in the pterygomandibular space: complications of the inferior alveolar nerve block.Cureus. 2018;10(8):e3109. doi:10.7759/cureus.3109Wolf KT, Brokaw EJ, Bell A, Joy A.Variant inferior alveolar nerves and implications for local anesthesia.Anesth Prog. 2016;63(2):84–90. doi:10.2344/0003-3006-63.2.84Dimitroulis G.Management of temporomandibular joint disorders: a surgeon’s perspective.Aust Dent J.2018;63:S79-S90. doi:10.1111/adj.12593Rahpeyma A, Khajehahmadi S.Mandibular body fracture during inferior alveolar nerve transposition: review of literature.Ann Maxillofac Surg.2019 Jan-Jun;9(1):218–220. doi:10.4103/ams.ams_2_19Li Y, Ling Z, Zhang H, et al.Association of the inferior alveolar nerve position and nerve injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Healthcare (Basel).2022 Sep;10(9):1782. doi:10.3390/healthcare10091782Gambeta E, Chichorro JG, Zamponi GW.Trigeminal neuralgia: an overview from pathophysiology to pharmacological treatments.Mol Pain. 2020;16:1744806920901890. doi:10.1177/1744806920901890Fallata A, Salter A, Tyry T, Cutter GR, Marrie RA.Trigeminal neuralgia commonly precedes the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.Int J MS Care. 2017;19(5):240-246. doi:10.7224/1537-2073.2016-065Mortazavi H, Baharvand M, Safi Y, Behnaz M.Common conditions associated with displacement of the inferior alveolar nerve canal: a radiographic diagnostic aid. Imaging Sci Dent.2019 Jun;49(2):79–86. doi:10.5624/isd.2019.49.2.79Renton T.Trigeminal nerve injury. In:Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for the Clinician. Singapore: Springer; 2021. doi:10.1007/978-981-15-1346-6_25Al-Quliti KW.Update on neuropathic pain treatment for trigeminal neuralgia: the pharmacological and surgical options.Neurosciences (Riyadh). 2015;20(2):107–14. doi:10.17712/nsj.2015.2.20140501Hwang JH, Ku J.Herbal medicine for the management of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia: a protocol for a systematic review of controlled trials.Medicine (Baltimore).2020 Jun 19;99(25):e20779. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000020779Egeo G, Fofi L, Barbanti P.Botulinum neurotoxin for the treatment of neuropathic pain.Front. Neurol.2020;11:2020. doi:10.3389/fneur.2020.00716Keric N, Kalasauskas D, Kreth SL, et al.An age-dependent outcome analysis of microvascular decompression and percutaneous thermocoagulation in trigeminal neuralgia.BMC Neurol.2021;21:182. doi:10.1186/s12883-021-02197-6Sarikov R, Juodzbalys G.Inferior alveolar nerve injury after mandibular third molar extraction: a literature review.J Oral Maxillofac Res.2014 Oct-Dec;5(4):e1. doi:10.5037/jomr.2014.5401
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Iwanaga J, Choi PJ, Vetter M, et al.Anatomical study of the lingual nerve and inferior alveolar nerve in the pterygomandibular space: complications of the inferior alveolar nerve block.Cureus. 2018;10(8):e3109. doi:10.7759/cureus.3109Wolf KT, Brokaw EJ, Bell A, Joy A.Variant inferior alveolar nerves and implications for local anesthesia.Anesth Prog. 2016;63(2):84–90. doi:10.2344/0003-3006-63.2.84Dimitroulis G.Management of temporomandibular joint disorders: a surgeon’s perspective.Aust Dent J.2018;63:S79-S90. doi:10.1111/adj.12593Rahpeyma A, Khajehahmadi S.Mandibular body fracture during inferior alveolar nerve transposition: review of literature.Ann Maxillofac Surg.2019 Jan-Jun;9(1):218–220. doi:10.4103/ams.ams_2_19Li Y, Ling Z, Zhang H, et al.Association of the inferior alveolar nerve position and nerve injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Healthcare (Basel).2022 Sep;10(9):1782. doi:10.3390/healthcare10091782Gambeta E, Chichorro JG, Zamponi GW.Trigeminal neuralgia: an overview from pathophysiology to pharmacological treatments.Mol Pain. 2020;16:1744806920901890. doi:10.1177/1744806920901890Fallata A, Salter A, Tyry T, Cutter GR, Marrie RA.Trigeminal neuralgia commonly precedes the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.Int J MS Care. 2017;19(5):240-246. doi:10.7224/1537-2073.2016-065Mortazavi H, Baharvand M, Safi Y, Behnaz M.Common conditions associated with displacement of the inferior alveolar nerve canal: a radiographic diagnostic aid. Imaging Sci Dent.2019 Jun;49(2):79–86. doi:10.5624/isd.2019.49.2.79Renton T.Trigeminal nerve injury. In:Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for the Clinician. Singapore: Springer; 2021. doi:10.1007/978-981-15-1346-6_25Al-Quliti KW.Update on neuropathic pain treatment for trigeminal neuralgia: the pharmacological and surgical options.Neurosciences (Riyadh). 2015;20(2):107–14. doi:10.17712/nsj.2015.2.20140501Hwang JH, Ku J.Herbal medicine for the management of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia: a protocol for a systematic review of controlled trials.Medicine (Baltimore).2020 Jun 19;99(25):e20779. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000020779Egeo G, Fofi L, Barbanti P.Botulinum neurotoxin for the treatment of neuropathic pain.Front. Neurol.2020;11:2020. doi:10.3389/fneur.2020.00716Keric N, Kalasauskas D, Kreth SL, et al.An age-dependent outcome analysis of microvascular decompression and percutaneous thermocoagulation in trigeminal neuralgia.BMC Neurol.2021;21:182. doi:10.1186/s12883-021-02197-6Sarikov R, Juodzbalys G.Inferior alveolar nerve injury after mandibular third molar extraction: a literature review.J Oral Maxillofac Res.2014 Oct-Dec;5(4):e1. doi:10.5037/jomr.2014.5401
Iwanaga J, Choi PJ, Vetter M, et al.Anatomical study of the lingual nerve and inferior alveolar nerve in the pterygomandibular space: complications of the inferior alveolar nerve block.Cureus. 2018;10(8):e3109. doi:10.7759/cureus.3109
Wolf KT, Brokaw EJ, Bell A, Joy A.Variant inferior alveolar nerves and implications for local anesthesia.Anesth Prog. 2016;63(2):84–90. doi:10.2344/0003-3006-63.2.84
Dimitroulis G.Management of temporomandibular joint disorders: a surgeon’s perspective.Aust Dent J.2018;63:S79-S90. doi:10.1111/adj.12593
Rahpeyma A, Khajehahmadi S.Mandibular body fracture during inferior alveolar nerve transposition: review of literature.Ann Maxillofac Surg.2019 Jan-Jun;9(1):218–220. doi:10.4103/ams.ams_2_19
Li Y, Ling Z, Zhang H, et al.Association of the inferior alveolar nerve position and nerve injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Healthcare (Basel).2022 Sep;10(9):1782. doi:10.3390/healthcare10091782
Gambeta E, Chichorro JG, Zamponi GW.Trigeminal neuralgia: an overview from pathophysiology to pharmacological treatments.Mol Pain. 2020;16:1744806920901890. doi:10.1177/1744806920901890
Fallata A, Salter A, Tyry T, Cutter GR, Marrie RA.Trigeminal neuralgia commonly precedes the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.Int J MS Care. 2017;19(5):240-246. doi:10.7224/1537-2073.2016-065
Mortazavi H, Baharvand M, Safi Y, Behnaz M.Common conditions associated with displacement of the inferior alveolar nerve canal: a radiographic diagnostic aid. Imaging Sci Dent.2019 Jun;49(2):79–86. doi:10.5624/isd.2019.49.2.79
Renton T.Trigeminal nerve injury. In:Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for the Clinician. Singapore: Springer; 2021. doi:10.1007/978-981-15-1346-6_25
Al-Quliti KW.Update on neuropathic pain treatment for trigeminal neuralgia: the pharmacological and surgical options.Neurosciences (Riyadh). 2015;20(2):107–14. doi:10.17712/nsj.2015.2.20140501
Hwang JH, Ku J.Herbal medicine for the management of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia: a protocol for a systematic review of controlled trials.Medicine (Baltimore).2020 Jun 19;99(25):e20779. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000020779
Egeo G, Fofi L, Barbanti P.Botulinum neurotoxin for the treatment of neuropathic pain.Front. Neurol.2020;11:2020. doi:10.3389/fneur.2020.00716
Keric N, Kalasauskas D, Kreth SL, et al.An age-dependent outcome analysis of microvascular decompression and percutaneous thermocoagulation in trigeminal neuralgia.BMC Neurol.2021;21:182. doi:10.1186/s12883-021-02197-6
Sarikov R, Juodzbalys G.Inferior alveolar nerve injury after mandibular third molar extraction: a literature review.J Oral Maxillofac Res.2014 Oct-Dec;5(4):e1. doi:10.5037/jomr.2014.5401
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