[The arterial blood supply of the human mandible]

The arteries of 22 mandibles injected with Kallocryl M were examined. The first group consisted of mandibles with the full complement of teeth. At the inner side, there were numerous anastomoses between the submental artery, the sublingual artery, the ascending palatine artery and the mylohyoid ramus. Furthermore, the dental rami branched into the periost. At the outside, the mental artery as well as the submental and inferior labial arteries contributed to the arterial supply. In the second group of mandibles (with intact incisors), these war a marked reduction of the anastomoses of the inferior alveolar artery in the middle region. The third group of mandibles (which were edentulous) showed anastomoses of the submental and sublingual arteries in the region of the incisors. The outside was supplied by the submental and inferior labial arteries. The mental artery exislar artery was demonstrated in 4 cases. The reduction of anastomoses concerned the inferior alveolar artery.