Inferior alveolar nerve

The inferior alveolar nerve runs through the mandible, the lower jaw. It supplies feeling to the lower teeth, the lower lip and the chin.

Dentists often put numbing medicine near this nerve before work on lower teeth. This is called a nerve block. When it works, the lower teeth on that side, and the lip and chin, feel numb for a few hours. See dental numbness.

Your dentist can tell you what to expect when the area is numb, and when feeling should return.