Anatomy, Head and Neck, Nasopalatine Nerve

The nasopalatine nerve, also known as nervus incisivus, is a division of the trigeminal nerve's maxillary branch. The nasopalatine nerve branches off the maxillary nerve at the pterygopalatine fossa and passes through the sphenopalatine foramen to enter the nasal cavity. The nerve descends diagonally and anteriorly before emerging in the anterior palate via the incisive foramen. The nasopalatine nerve generally carries sensory information from the mucosal surfaces of the palatine and nasal septal regions. Clinically, a block to the nasopalatine nerve facilitates anesthetizing the palatal mucosa and gingivae surrounding the 6 anterior maxillary teeth. Nasopalatine nerve blocks allow procedures involving the premaxilla, such as elevating mucosal flaps for oral and maxillofacial surgery and repairing cleft defects. Understanding this nerve's anatomy and function is essential to managing various orofacial conditions.