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Oral Anatomy
SECTION I
Frontal sinus
Frontal bone
Anterior ethmoidal artery
Septal branch of
superior labial artery
Hard palate
Greater palatine artery
Kiesselbach’s plexus
Posterior ethmoidal artery
Sphenoidal sinus
Septal branch of
sphenopalatine artery
Nasal septum
Soft palate
Figure 5.15
Little’s area.
1. Arterial supply to the face is mainly by two arteries
that are branches of the external carotid artery:
(a)
Facial artery:
Branch of external carotid artery
(b)
Transverse facial artery:
Branch of superficial
temporal artery
2. Some areas of the face are supplied by the branches of
the internal carotid artery:
(a)
Orbital structures:
Ophthalmic artery
(b)
Skin of forehead:
Supratrochlear and supraorbital
branches
(c)
Eyelids:
Medial palpebral branch
(d)
Upper part of nose:
Dorsal nasal branch
3. Venous drainage of the face is by the common facial
vein.
4. The upper lip and lower part of the nose constitute
the danger area of the face. This is because the facial
vein which drains these regions is connected to the
cavernous sinus present in the cranium through the
deep facial vein and pterygoid plexus. Infection can
spread from the danger area to the cranium.
5. The retromandibular vein is formed by the union of
the superficial temporal and maxillary veins. It splits
into two divisions—anterior and posterior.
(a)
Anterior division
: Unites with facial vein to form
the common facial vein
(b)
Posterior division
: Unites with the posterior au-
ricular vein to form the external jugular vein
6. Muscles of the eyeball are supplied by the ophthal-
mic artery (branch of the cerebral part of the internal
carotid artery).
7. Arterial supply of the tongue is by the lingual artery
(branch of the external carotid artery) and venous
drainage is through the deep lingual vein.
8. The maxillary artery is divided into three parts—
mandibular, pterygoid and pterygopalatine—on the
basis of its relation to the lateral pterygoid muscle.
9. The maxillary artery is a branch of the external ca-
rotid artery. It supplies the upper and lower jaws,
muscles of mastication, nose and paranasal sinuses
and the palate.
(a)
Upper jaw and teeth:
Posterior superior alveolar
artery
(i) Infraorbital artery
(ii) Palatine artery
(b)
Lower jaw and teeth:
Inferior alveolar artery
KEY POINTS
the pumping action of the muscle every time
the mouth opens. Spread of infection from the
pterygoid plexus to the cavernous sinus is pos-
sible, which can result in potential life-threaten-
ing complications.
16.
Kiesselbach’s area
/
Kiesselbach’s triangle:
Also
called
Little’s area
,
it is a region in the anteroin-
ferior part of the nasal septum which is highly
vascular. It is a site where five arteries, namely
the anterior ethmoidal artery, the greater pala-
tine artery, the sphenopalatine artery, the supe-
rior labial artery and the lateral nasal branch of
the facial artery, anastomose to form a vascular
network called the Kiesselbach’s plexus. This
is a frequent site of nasal bleeding/epistaxis
(Fig. 5.15).
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