Overall Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//REL TO NATO/ISAF

THE ARTERIES  As blood emerges from the heart, it passes into the aorta, the largest blood vessel in the body.  The aorta gives off various vessels, most notably for dentistry are the common carotids AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

THE ARTERIES  The common carotids are the major arteries to the head and neck.  Both common carotid arteries ascend in the neck and then split an external carotid artery and an internal carotid artery. AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

Common Carotid AFAMS Dental Advisor Team Common Carotid

 The internal carotid artery ascends vertically to the base of the skull and enters the cranial cavity  It sends its blood almost exclusively to the brain AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

 The external carotid artery provides blood for all other superficial and deep structures of the face. AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

Lingual Artery AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

Lingual Artery  Running under this muscle it turns steeply upward to enter the substance of the tongue where it ultimately ends in the tip of the tongue. AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

Lingual Artery  In addition to supplying the tongue, it releases several branches to the sublingual gland, mucous membrane covering the floor of the mouth, and soft palate AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

Facial Artery  It terminates as the angular artery at the medial corner of the eye. AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

Facial Artery  It arises near the angle of the mandible and curves over the border of the mandible at the anterior edge of the masseter muscle to enter the face.  It is directed towards the corner of the mouth and then follows the lateral border of the nose to the inner corner of the eye. AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

Facial Artery  In the neck, it supplies the muscles and mucous membrane of the soft palate, pharynx, and submandibular gland and a minor supply to the sublingual gland, and some muscles. AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

Facial Artery  In the face, the facial artery lies at first quite superficially covered only by a very thin muscle, superficial fascia and skin.  The pulse of the artery can easily be felt at the lower border of the mandible or slightly above it and in front of the masseter muscle. AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

Facial Artery  Then as the artery courses upward and forward toward the corner of the mouth, it lies deep to some of the muscles of facial expression.  Branches of the facial artery on the face supply the upper and lower lip the lateral parts of the nose and adjacent parts of the cheeks. AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

Maxillary Artery AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

Maxillary Artery  This artery, the larger of the two terminal branches of the external carotid artery is perhaps the single most important artery in oral anatomy. AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

Maxillary Artery  It arises just below the level of the condylar neck then follows an anterior, slightly upward, and medial course through the infratemporal fossa.  Running deep to the neck of the mandible, the maxillary artery passes in a tortuous fashion across the lateral pterygoid muscle, either passing on the outer side of this muscle or deep to it. AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

Maxillary Artery  It then reaches the pterygopalatine fossa passes through it and then eventually ends on the face through the infraorbital foramen. AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

Maxillary Artery:  Inferior Alveolar Artery ◦ descends into the mandibular foramen after supplying a lingual branch near its origin which accompanies the lingual nerve and a mylohyoid branch (immediately above the mandibular foramen) which descends with the mylohyoid nerve AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

Maxillary Artery:  Inferior Alveolar Artery ◦ In the mandibular canal the inferior alveolar artery supplies the teeth in the same manner as the corresponding nerve and ends in the mental and incisive artery. artery. AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

Maxillary Artery:  Inferior Alveolar Artery AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

 The venous system of the head and neck consists almost entirely of the internal jugular vein and the external jugular vein with their branches (which accompany most of the arteries already mentioned). AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

The basic function of the lymphatic system is to act as an auxiliary system, returning excess fluid from tissue spaces to the bloodstream. AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

 The lymphatic system returns this extra fluid and protein molecules (which are too large to enter venules) to the bloodstream. AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

 Besides functioning to return protein and fluid to the circulation, the lymphatic system, by virtue of lymph nodes, serves as a filter, trapping any foreign particles which may be present in the lymph.  This foreign material enters into the extracellular fluid by way of wounds or infection. AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

 This process produces a swelling and tenderness in the nodes called lymphadenitis. Lymph nodes which receive lymph that is draining a specific region are called regional or primary lymph nodes.  They are the first site at which pathologic processes will manifest themselves. AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

 Lymph nodes are located throughout the head and neck area along the blood vessels, arteries or veins and although the site of lymph nodes is fairly constant, there is variability as to their number and size. AFAMS Dental Advisor Team

Overall Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//REL TO NATO/ISAF