Which nerve is primarily associated with the nerve supply of the sublingual gland?

The correct choice is the facial nerve. The sublingual gland primarily receives its innervation from the autonomic nervous system, specifically through the facial nerve, which is the seventh cranial nerve. This nerve carries parasympathetic fibers that originate in the superior salivatory nucleus and travel via the chorda tympani branch of the facial nerve. These fibers then join the lingual nerve, which supplies the sublingual gland, thus stimulating salivation.

A deeper understanding highlights that while the lingual nerve, a branch of the mandibular nerve, is in close association with the sublingual gland, it does not provide the autonomic innervation necessary for its secretory function. The maxillary and glossopharyngeal nerves are also not directly involved in supplying the sublingual gland; the maxillary nerve primarily supplies maxillary teeth and tissues, and the glossopharyngeal nerve primarily innervates the parotid gland. Hence, it is the facial nerve that plays the key role in the sublingual gland’s nerve supply.