Lingual nerve

The lingual nerve is a large branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve (cranial nerve V3), responsible for providing general sensory innervation—including touch, pain, and temperature—to the mucosa of the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, the floor of the mouth, and the lingual gingiva. It is joined by the chorda tympani branch of the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII), which provides taste sensation and parasympathetic fibers to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue as well as the submandibular and sublingual glands. The lingual nerve is purely a peripheral nerve and not a therapeutic molecular target. It is frequently at risk of injury during oral and dental procedures[1][2][4][5].

Other names

Nervus lingualis (Latin)Lingual branch of mandibular nerve

Local anesthetic blockade of nerve conduction (when clinically relevant)