Arteries & Veins of the Head and Neck

External carotid branches (in order, inferior to superior)

Branch	Dental relevance
Superior thyroid	Thyroid, larynx
Ascending pharyngeal	Pharynx, soft palate
Lingual	Tongue and floor of mouth; runs deep to the hyoglossus
Facial	Palpable at the antegonial notch at the anterior border of the masseter; gives submental, labial and angular branches
Occipital, posterior auricular	Scalp and ear
Maxillary (terminal)	Teeth, jaws, muscles of mastication, palate, nasal cavity
Superficial temporal (terminal)	Scalp and TMJ; pulse in front of the ear

Part	Key branches
Mandibular (behind the condylar neck)	Inferior alveolar (to mandibular teeth, then mental), middle meningeal (through the foramen spinosum)
Pterygoid (near the lateral pterygoid)	Masseteric, deep temporal, pterygoid and buccal branches
Pterygopalatine (in the fossa)	Posterior superior alveolar, infraorbital (giving anterior and middle superior alveolar), descending palatine (greater and lesser palatine), sphenopalatine

Pterygoid plexus: around the lateral pterygoid; a needle too deep in a PSA injection can puncture it and cause a hematoma; connects to the cavernous sinus through emissary veins.
Facial vein links to the cavernous sinus through the ophthalmic veins; it is commonly taught as having few or no functional valves, so infection from the upper lip, nose and maxillary canine area can travel upward (the 'danger triangle').
Retromandibular vein forms from the superficial temporal and maxillary veins and drains to the external and internal jugular systems.
Cavernous sinus thrombosis: fever, eyelid edema, proptosis, ophthalmoplegia (CN III, IV, VI, and V1–V2 run through or beside the sinus).

Saying the internal carotid supplies the teeth: dental supply comes from the external carotid (maxillary artery).
Assigning the PSA artery to the mandibular part of the maxillary artery: it is from the pterygopalatine part.
Placing the middle meningeal artery in the foramen ovale: it uses the foramen spinosum.
Ignoring the pterygoid plexus when a PSA needle is inserted too far.

External carotid branches in order: 'Some Anatomists Like Freaking Out Poor Medical Students' (superior thyroid, ascending pharyngeal, lingual, facial, occipital, posterior auricular, maxillary, superficial temporal).

Pick an answer to see right away whether it is correct and why.

Which artery supplies the mandibular teeth?
A PSA injection given too deep and too posterior most often causes:
Infection from a maxillary canine abscess can reach the cavernous sinus through:
Where can the facial artery pulse be felt on the mandible?
Which branch of the maxillary artery passes through the foramen spinosum?

0 of 5 answered

Answer key: 1 A · 2 B · 3 A · 4 C · 5 D