Which nerve provides pulpal innervation to the central incisors, lateral incisors, and canines, including the PDL, buccal bone, and mucous membrane of those teeth?

• A. Anterior superior alveolar nerve (ASA)
• B. Middle superior alveolar nerve (MSA)
• C. Posterior superior alveolar nerve (PSA)
• D. Infraorbital nerve

Answer: (A)

The pulpal innervation of the maxillary central incisors, lateral incisors, and canines (including the PDL, buccal bone, and overlying mucosa) comes from the anterior superior alveolar nerve. This branch, arising from the infraorbital nerve (itself a branch of V2), supplies the anterior maxillary teeth and their supporting structures. It travels through the infraorbital canal and exits near the infraorbital foramen, giving off dental branches to the teeth in that region. While the middle superior alveolar nerve commonly supplies the premolars (and sometimes the mesiobuccal root of the first molar) and may be absent in some people, the anterior superior alveolar nerve is the primary source for the incisors and canines. The posterior superior alveolar nerve serves the posterior maxillary teeth, and the infraorbital nerve is the larger trunk that gives rise to the ASA (and MSA).