US Medical Term · anatomy
Trigeminal Nerve
Nervio trigémino
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Trigeminal Nerve |
| Spanish (Español) | Nervio trigémino |
| Chinese (中文) | 三叉神經 |
| Korean (한국어) | 삼차신경 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Dây thần kinh sinh ba |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Trigeminal nerve |
| Portuguese (Português) | Nervo trigêmeo |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | เส้นประสาทไตรเจมินัล |
| Japanese (日本語) | 三叉神経 |
What it means
The trigeminal nerve is the fifth cranial nerve and the largest of the twelve cranial nerves. It carries sensation from the face, scalp, teeth, gums, sinuses, and parts of the mouth to the brain, allowing you to feel touch, pain, and temperature in these areas. It also controls the muscles you use for chewing. The nerve has three main branches: the ophthalmic branch (forehead and eyes), the maxillary branch (cheeks, upper lip, and upper teeth), and the mandibular branch (lower jaw, lower teeth, and chin). Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition that causes sudden, severe, electric shock-like facial pain triggered by everyday activities such as eating, talking, or touching the face. It is one of the most painful conditions known in medicine.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
I get sudden stabbing pain in my face when I eat or talk — my doctor thinks it is trigeminal neuralgia.
Siento un dolor punzante repentino en la cara cuando como o hablo — mi doctor cree que es neuralgia del trigémino.
The dentist said my tooth pain might actually be coming from my trigeminal nerve, not a cavity.
El dentista dijo que mi dolor de muelas podría estar viniendo del nervio trigémino y no de una caries.
Can surgery help with trigeminal nerve pain that does not respond to medication?
¿Puede la cirugía ayudar con el dolor del nervio trigémino que no responde a medicamentos?
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026