Anatomía del nervio dentario inferior y sus implicaciones clínicas

Introduction: The inferior alveolar nerve is one of the terminal branches that gives off the third branch of the trigeminal nerve. Injury to the inferior alveolar nerve has a prevalence ranging from 0.53 to 8.4%. Objective: To analyze the most relevant aspects concerning the anatomy of the inferior alveolar nerve and its main clinical implications. Methodology: A narrative review was carried out, in which 14 publications were selected in databases: SCOPUS, PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and human anatomy textbooks, from July to December 2024. Results: The inferior alveolar nerve can be injured in dental procedures such as the placement of dental implants, extractions of third molars, teeth in the lower posterior sector, retained teeth, endodontic treatments, periradicular surgeries, orthognathic surgeries, distraction osteogenesis, and mandibular trauma. Conclusions: It is essential to know the typical anatomy of the inferior dental nerve and its anatomical variants, to reduce the risk of injury.