The Anatomy of the Maxillary Nerve

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnatomyFunctionAssociated ConditionsTreatment

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Anatomy

Function

Associated Conditions

Treatment

The maxillary nerve supplies sensory innervation to the middle third of the face and carries important information to the central nervous system (CNS). It is a branch ofthe trigeminal nerve(the fifth cranial nerve) which serves both a sensory (afferent) and motor (efferent) function.

The maxillary branch is involved mostly in the sensory function. It helps relay sensation and pain messaging from the upper teeth, jaw, the mucosa (membranes) of the nasal cavity, and part of the tongue and face.

Structure & Location

The maxillary nerve is the second of three branches of the trigeminal nerve. It arises between the trigeminal’s ophthalmic and mandibular divisions in a region called thetrigeminal ganglion, a cluster of nerves involved in relaying sensory information to the brain as well as chewing motor function.

Medium-sized when compared to the other branches, this nerve runs forwards from each side of the head at the level of the brainstem (around the ears) through the walls of the sinus just beneath and to the side of theophthalmic nerve. It then accesses the upper gingiva via the pterygopalatine fossa (a depression on each side of the skull). After giving off most of its branches it courses to the orbit of the eye via the inferior orbital fissure.

Significantly, this nerve gives off a number of important branches that play a role in conveying sensory information. These branches are grouped based on their location along the course:

Middle cranial fossa:Close to the origin of the maxillary nerve in the middle cranial fossa, its smallest branch arises—the middle meningeal nerve. This brings sensory information to the dura mater (the tough, outer membrane of the brain and spine).

Pterygopalatine fossa:The middle course of the nerve, at the pterygopalatine fossa on each side of the skull, accesses the pterygopalatine ganglion and gives off a vast majority of its branches. These are:

The orbit floor:As the maxillary nerve exits the pterygopalatine fossa via the inferior orbital fissure, it enters the orbit and becomes the infraorbital nerve. In turn, it splits into two branches:

Facial nerves:The final course of the maxillary nerve, after exiting the infraorbital foramen, sees the nerve divide into three sets of terminal branches:

Anatomical Variations

As with many parts of the nervous system, there are sometimes variations seen in the structure of the maxillary nerve, and this is of particular concern for surgeons and dentists. For instance, it can be what is called “bifid,” meaning it is split into two parts.

Notably, there have also been cases where people have multiple infraorbital foramina as opposed to just one. This has implications for dentists and healthcare providers tasked with ensuring that the face or upper set of teeth are numbed prior to treatment. Other variations include a greater palatine nerve—rather than maxillary nerve—that services the upper molar and premolar teeth.Finally, the nasopalatine nerve is sometimes observed innervating the incisor teeth.

As noted above, the maxillary nerve is an afferent nerve, meaning it serves a sensory function. This being the case, it’s part of the system that conveys temperature, touch, and pain sensation from the parts of the body it accesses. Primarily, then, it delivers information back from the following:

Sensory information from these areas passes via axons to the trigeminal ganglion, located within an area called “Meckel’s cave,” a special pouch within the middle cranial fossa.These branches converge to form the sensory root of the trigeminal nerve and convey the sensory information to the brains at the level of the pons, a section associated with a range of bodily functions, such as sleep, breathing, swallowing, hearing, balance, among many others. Finally, this sensory material passes through the trigeminal nucleus and thalamus before it is processed within the cerebral cortex.

Other conditions can also impact the maxillary nerve, including lesions of the zygomatic nerve, which helps produce the liquid layer of film that goes around the eye.This condition can affect the trigeminal nerve and all of its pathways, leading to uncomfortable sensations and sensitivity to heat and cold in the teeth due to inflammation in the nerve.

Disorders and conditions affecting the maxillary nerve can have a significant impact on quality of life. And while there is a degree to which nerves can heal on their own, there are limitations.

In cases of trigeminal neuralgia, healthcare providers may prescribe anticonvulsants or other drugs to aid with symptoms. Surgery is generally a last resort, while medical therapy is the first line treatment.

Surgeries repairing this nerve following trigeminal neuralgia are largely successful, with all three major approaches—microvascular decompression, radiosurgery, and radiofrequency lesioning—having success rates at or above 80%.

However, surgery for non-trigeminal neuralgia face pain have much lower success rates and may cause more pain or further problems.

Recovery varies based on treatment:

With careful monitoring and timely interventions, maxillary nerve issues—as well as the conditions that can lead to them—can certainly be taken on. It’s always important to talk to your healthcare provider if you’re feeling any related pain or discomfort.

5 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.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Trigeminal neuralgia fact sheet.Shafique S, Das J.Anatomy, head and neck, maxillary nerve. StatPearls.Kenhub.Maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve.Jones R.Repair of the trigeminal nerve: a review.Aust Dent J. 2010;55(2):112-119. doi:10.1111/j.1834-7819.2010.01216.xUniversity of California San Francisco.Trigeminal neuralgia FAQ. Department of Neurological Surgery.

5 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.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Trigeminal neuralgia fact sheet.Shafique S, Das J.Anatomy, head and neck, maxillary nerve. StatPearls.Kenhub.Maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve.Jones R.Repair of the trigeminal nerve: a review.Aust Dent J. 2010;55(2):112-119. doi:10.1111/j.1834-7819.2010.01216.xUniversity of California San Francisco.Trigeminal neuralgia FAQ. Department of Neurological Surgery.

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.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Trigeminal neuralgia fact sheet.Shafique S, Das J.Anatomy, head and neck, maxillary nerve. StatPearls.Kenhub.Maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve.Jones R.Repair of the trigeminal nerve: a review.Aust Dent J. 2010;55(2):112-119. doi:10.1111/j.1834-7819.2010.01216.xUniversity of California San Francisco.Trigeminal neuralgia FAQ. Department of Neurological Surgery.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Trigeminal neuralgia fact sheet.

Shafique S, Das J.Anatomy, head and neck, maxillary nerve. StatPearls.

Kenhub.Maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve.

Jones R.Repair of the trigeminal nerve: a review.Aust Dent J. 2010;55(2):112-119. doi:10.1111/j.1834-7819.2010.01216.x

University of California San Francisco.Trigeminal neuralgia FAQ. Department of Neurological Surgery.

Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

What is your feedback?