Superior dental plexus

The superior dental plexus refers to a plexus of nerves which is situated inside the thick alveolar process of the maxilla (i.e. the upper jaw bone), between the maxillary sinus above and the upper jaw teeth below. The plexus is formed by contributions from three nerves, namely, the posterior superior alveolar nerve (which arises from maxillary nerve inside the pterygopalatine fossa) and the middle and anterior superior alveolar nerves (which are branches of infraorbital nerve). These nerves descend just outside the mucosa of the maxillary sinus, which they supply. They subsequently anastomose with each other inferior to the maxillary sinus, to form the superior dental plexus.

The superior dental plexus innervates the roots of the upper teeth, maxillary gums and buccal mucosa. The posterior part of the plexus which receives contributions from the posterior superior alveolar nerve, innervates the roots of the maxillary molars. The middle part–which receives contributions from the middle superior alveolar nerve–innervates the premolars, while the anterior part–from the anterior superior alveolar nerve–supplies the canines and the incisors. The anterior portion of superior dental plexus also gives rise to a nasal branch which pierces through a small foramen in the lateral wall of nasal cavity and ends up providing sensory innervation to the mucosa of inferior meatus and floor of nasal cavity.