This high-yield revision note on Mandibular Nerve Branches: Lingual, IAN, Auriculotemporal - Clinical Blocks covers everything examiners typically test under Oral Anatomy & Histology — structured as quick-reference tables, clinical correlations, mnemonics and previous-year-style high-yield points. It's built for last-mile revision before NEET MDS, INI-CET MDS and INBDE, so you can scan it in minutes instead of re-reading a whole textbook chapter.
| Branch (division) | Course | Supplies | Clinical Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lingual nerve | Runs anteroinferior to IAN, crosses lateral to submandibular duct (below-then-above), enters tongue deep to mylohyoid | General sensation ant 2/3 tongue, lingual gingiva; chorda tympani (facial) joins for taste + submandibular/sublingual secretomotor | Injury in 3rd molar surgery = taste + sensory loss ant 2/3 tongue |
| Inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) | Enters mandibular foramen (lingula), runs in mandibular canal, exits as mental + incisive nerve | Mandibular teeth, mental/lower lip skin via mental nerve | IAN block: needle 6-10mm above occlusal plane, deposit near lingula |
| Auriculotemporal nerve | Two roots encircle middle meningeal artery, passes behind TMJ, ascends with superficial temporal vessels | TMJ, external ear, parotid (secretomotor from otic ganglion, postsynaptic fibers of IX via lesser petrosal) | Frey's syndrome = aberrant reinnervation of sweat glands after parotid injury (gustatory sweating) |
| Buccal nerve (long buccal) | Passes between two heads of lateral pterygoid | Buccal mucosa & skin of cheek (NOT buccinator muscle - that's facial nerve) | Buccal infiltration for extraction of mandibular molars |
| Mylohyoid nerve | Branch of IAN before it enters canal, runs in mylohyoid groove | Mylohyoid + anterior belly digastric (motor - only motor branch of V3 besides muscles of mastication) | Accessory innervation - explains LA failure in some IAN blocks |
Before your exam, come back to this page and re-scan the table above rather than re-reading full notes — that's the fastest way to lock in Mandibular Nerve Branches: Lingual, IAN, Auriculotemporal - Clinical Blocks for Oral Anatomy & Histology questions in NEET MDS, INI-CET MDS & INBDE.
Get full access to every topic note, 1,030+ short notes, high-yield points and video lectures — free to register, one login for NEET MDS, INI-CET MDS & INBDE.
Get Full AccessAll 90+ detailed notes, 1,030+ short notes, high-yield points, video lectures & mock tests for NEET MDS, INI-CET MDS and INBDE — one subscription.
NEET MDS