Nerve Supply to the Face and Scalp

Nerve Supply to the Face and Scalp

A) Facial nerve

• Comes through the stylomastoid foramen and appears posterior to the parotid gland.
• Enters the parotid gland to give rise to five terminal branches, the temporal, zygomatic, buccal, mandibular, and cervical branches that radiate forward in the face.
• Innervates the muscles of facial expression and sends the posterior auricular branch to the muscles of the auricle and the occipitalis muscle.
• Also innervates the digastric posterior belly and stylohyoid muscles.

B) Trigeminal nerve

• Provides sensory innervation to the skin of the face.

1) Ophthalmic division

• Innervates the area above the upper eyelid and dorsum of the nose.
• Supplies the face as the supraorbital, supratrochlear, infratrochlear, external nasal , and lacrimal nerves.

2) Maxillary division

• Innervates the face below the level of the eyes and above the upper lip.
• Supplies the face as the zygomaticofacial, zygomaticotemporal , and infraorbital nerves.

3) Mandibular division

• Innervates the face below the level of the lower lip.
• Supplies the face as the auriculotemporal, buccal, and mental nerves

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