Composition of the blood supply in the sublingual and submandibular spaces and its relationship to the lateral lingual foramen of the mandible

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to contribute to minimizing arterial disruption during mandibular surgical procedures by clarifying the course of the arteries supplying the sublingual and submental regions. Heads of 75 human cadavers were dissected to identify the arterial supply of the sublingual and submental regions. Computed tomography scans were performed to visualize the lateral lingual foramina of the mandibles. The facial artery was found to contribute to the composition of almost half of the sublingual arteries studied. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the arterial supply to an incisor tooth is often from the submental artery. Our data provide important information for coping with bleeding or hematoma occurring during surgical procedures in the mandibular region.