Course

It descends with the inferior alveolar nerve

Inferior alveolar nerve

The inferior alveolar nerve is a branch of the mandibular nerve, which is itself the third branch of the trigeminal nerve .-Path:...

 to the mandibular foramen

Mandibular foramen

The Mandibular foramen is an opening on the internal surface of the ramus for divisions of the mandibular vessels and nerve to pass.-Contents:...

 on the medial surface of the ramus of the mandible.

It runs along the mandibular canal

Mandibular canal

The mandibular canal is a canal within the mandible that contains the inferior alveolar nerve, inferior alveolar artery, and inferior alveolar vein...

 in the substance of the bone, accompanied by the nerve, and opposite the first premolar

Premolar

The premolar teeth or bicuspids are transitional teeth located between the canine and molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant, making eight premolars total in the mouth. They have at least two cusps. Premolars can be considered as a 'transitional tooth' during chewing, or...

 tooth divides into two branches, incisor and mental.

Incisor branch

The incisor branch is continued forward beneath the incisor

Incisor

Incisors are the first kind of tooth in heterodont mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and mandible below.-Function:...

 teeth as far as the middle line, where it anastomoses with the artery of the opposite side

The inferior alveolar artery and its incisor branch during their course through the substance of the bone give off a few twigs which are lost in the cancellous tissue, and a series of branches which correspond in number to the roots of the teeth: these enter the minute apertures at the extremities of the roots, and supply the pulp

Pulp (tooth)

The dental pulp is the part in the center of a tooth made up of living connective tissue and cells called odontoblasts.- Anatomy :Each person can have a total of up to 52 pulp organs, 32 in the permanent and 20 in the primary teeth....

 of the teeth.

Mental branch

The mental branch escapes with the nerve at the mental foramen

Mental foramen

The mental foramen is one of two holes located on the anterior surface of the mandible. It permits passage of the mental nerve and vessels. The mental foramen descends slightly in edentulous individuals.- Variations :...

, supplies the chin, and anastomoses with the submental

Submental

Submental can refer to:* Submental artery, a branch of the facial artery* Submental triangle, a division of the anterior triangle of the neck* Submental lymph nodes...

 and inferior labial arteries.

Mylohyoid branch

As the inferior alveolar artery enters the foramen, it gives off a mylohyoid branch which runs in the mylohyoid groove

Mylohyoid groove

The margin of the mandibular foramen is irregular; it presents in front a prominent ridge, surmounted by a sharp spine, the lingula mandibulæ, which gives attachment to the sphenomandibular ligament; at its lower and back part is a notch from which the mylohyoid groove runs obliquely downward and...

, and supplies the mylohyoid muscle

Mylohyoid muscle

The mylohyoid muscle is a muscle running from the mandible to the hyoid bone, forming the floor of the oral cavity. It is named for its two attachments, with the prefix "mylo" coming from the Greek word for "molar". These muscles are mesodermal in origin...

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