In vertebrates, the maxilla is the upper fixed bone of the jaw formed from the fusion of two maxillary bones. In humans, the upper jaw includes the hard palate in the front of the mouth. The two maxillary bones are fused at the intermaxillary suture, forming the anterior nasal spine. This is similar to the mandible, which is also a fusion of two mandibular bones at the mandibular symphysis. The mandible is the movable part of the jaw.
In anatomy, the palatine bones are two irregular bones of the facial skeleton in many animal species, located above the uvula in the throat. Together with the maxilla, they comprise the hard palate.
The inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) (also the inferior dental nerve) is a sensory branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3) (which is itself the third branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)). The nerve provides sensory innervation to the lower/mandibular teeth and their corresponding gingiva as well as a small area of the face (via its mental nerve).
The pyramid-shaped maxillary sinus is the largest of the paranasal sinuses, located in the maxilla. It drains into the middle meatus of the nose through the semilunar hiatus. It is located to the side of the nasal cavity, and below the orbit.
The buccal nerve is a sensory nerve of the face arising from the mandibular nerve. It conveys sensory information from the skin of the cheek, and parts of the oral mucosa, periodontium, and gingiva.
In neuroanatomy, the maxillary nerve (V2) is one of the three branches or divisions of the trigeminal nerve, the fifth (CN V) cranial nerve. It comprises the principal functions of sensation from the maxilla, nasal cavity, sinuses, the palate and subsequently that of the mid-face, and is intermediate, both in position and size, between the ophthalmic nerve and the mandibular nerve.
The middle superior alveolar nerve or middle superior dental nerve is a nerve that drops from the infraorbital portion of the maxillary nerve to supply the sinus mucosa, the roots of the maxillary premolars, and the mesiobuccal root of the first maxillary molar. It is not always present; in 72% of cases it is non existent with the anterior superior alveolar nerve innervating the premolars and the posterior superior alveolar nerve innervating the molars, including the mesiobuccal root of the first molar.
The inferior alveolar artery is an artery of the head. It is a branch of the maxillary artery. It descends through the infratemporal fossa as part of a neurovascular bundle with the inferior alveolar nerve and vein to the mandibular foramen where it enters and passes anteriorly inside the mandible, supplying the body of mandible and the dental pulp of the lower molar and premolar teeth. Its terminal incisor branch supplies the rest of the lower teeth. Its mental branch exits the mandibula anteriorly through the mental foramen to supply adjacent lip and skin.
The infraorbital artery is a small artery in the head that arises from the maxillary artery and passes through the inferior orbital fissure to enter the orbit, then passes forward along the floor of the orbit, finally exiting the orbit through the infraorbital foramen to reach the face.
The infratemporal fossa is an irregularly shaped cavity that is a part of the skull. It is situated below and medial to the zygomatic arch. It is not fully enclosed by bone in all directions. It contains superficial muscles, including the lower part of the temporalis muscle, the lateral pterygoid muscle, and the medial pterygoid muscle. It also contains important blood vessels such as the middle meningeal artery, the pterygoid plexus, and the retromandibular vein, and nerves such as the mandibular nerve (CN V3) and its branches.
The anterior superior alveolar nerve (or anterior superior dental nerve) is a branch of the infraorbital nerve (itself a branch of the maxillary nerve (CN V2)). It passes through the canalis sinuosus to reach and innervate upper front teeth. Through its nasal branch, it also innervates parts of the nasal cavity.
The posterior superior alveolar nerves (also posterior superior dental nerves or posterior superior alveolar branches) are sensory branches of the maxillary nerve (CN V2). They arise within the pterygopalatine fossa as a single trunk. They run on or in the maxilla. They provide sensory innervation to the upper molar teeth and adjacent gum, and the maxillary sinus.
The infraorbital canal is a canal found at the base of the orbit that opens on to the maxilla. It is continuous with the infraorbital groove and opens onto the maxilla at the infraorbital foramen. The infraorbital nerve and infraorbital artery travel through the canal.
The infraorbital nerve is a branch of the maxillary nerve. It arises in the pterygopalatine fossa. It passes through the inferior orbital fissure to enter the orbit. It travels through the orbit, then enters and traverses the infraorbital canal, exiting the canal at the infraorbital foramen to reach the face. It provides sensory innervation to the skin and mucous membranes around the middle of the face.
The anterior superior alveolar artery is one of the two or three superior alveolar arteries. It arises from the infraorbital artery. It passes through the canalis sinuosus. It provides arterial supply the upper incisor and canine teeth as well as the mucous membrane of the maxillary sinus.
Dental anatomy is a field of anatomy dedicated to the study of human tooth structures. The development, appearance, and classification of teeth fall within its purview. Tooth formation begins before birth, and the teeth's eventual morphology is dictated during this time. Dental anatomy is also a taxonomical science: it is concerned with the naming of teeth and the structures of which they are made, this information serving a practical purpose in dental treatment.
The superior dental plexus is a nerve plexus that innervates the upper/maxillary teeth and as adjacent structures. It is formed by the anterior superior alveolar nerve (ASAN), middle superior alveolar nerve (MSAN), and the posterior superior alveolar nerve (PSAN). It issues dental branches and gingival branches.
In anatomy, Underwood's septa are fin-shaped projections of bone that may exist in the maxillary sinus, first described in 1910 by Arthur S. Underwood, an anatomist at King's College in London. The presence of septa at or near the floor of the sinus are of interest to the dental clinician when proposing or performing sinus floor elevation procedures because of an increased likelihood of surgical complications, such as tearing of the Schneiderian membrane.
In human anatomy, the mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food and produces saliva. The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth.
The canalis sinuosus is a passage within the maxilla through which the anterior superior alveolar nerve, artery and vein pass. The proximal opening of the canal occurs near the mid-point of the infraorbital canal.
