Lingual Nerve
A branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve that provides sensory innervation to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue and the lingual gingiva of the mandible, and is at risk of injury during lower third molar surgery.
Full Definition
The lingual nerve runs medially and inferiorly to the roots of the mandibular third molar before passing beneath the tongue to supply general sensation to the tongue's anterior two-thirds and taste fibres via the chorda tympani. Because of its variable proximity to the lingual plate of the mandible, it can be injured during lower third molar extraction, producing lingual paraesthesia, dysaesthesia, or anaesthesia. Unlike inferior alveolar nerve injuries, lingual nerve injuries affect tongue sensation and may additionally impair taste. Editors will encounter this nerve cited in consent form risk disclosures, medico-legal reports, and neurosensory assessment records. It must not be confused with the hypoglossal nerve, which is a motor nerve to the tongue, not a sensory branch.
Usage
Usage note: Do not confuse with the hypoglossal nerve (motor) or the chorda tympani (taste fibres carried within it). Sensory deficits from lingual nerve injury must be documented separately from inferior alveolar nerve injuries in clinical records.
In Context
- "The consent documentation noted lingual nerve injury as a recognized risk of surgical lower third molar removal, with an estimated incidence of less than 1%." — Consent Form
- "The medico-legal report documented permanent lingual nerve damage, evidenced by persistent loss of taste on the left anterior tongue." — Medico-legal Report