Final answer:
The Inferior alveolar nerve needs to be anesthetized for dental work on the lower teeth, while the facial nerve is responsible for taste and salivation, and the cochlear nerve carries auditory information.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nerve that needs to be anesthetized to numb the lower teeth prior to dental work is the Inferior alveolar nerve. This is because the Inferior alveolar nerve enters the mandibular foramen and then travels through a tunnel within the mandibular body, supplying sensory innervation to the lower teeth. Anesthesia is typically injected into the lateral wall of the oral cavity near the mandibular foramen to block this nerve and achieve the desired numbness for dental procedures.
As for the nerve responsible for taste and salivation in the anterior oral cavity, it is the facial nerve. Lastly, the nerve that carries auditory information to the brain is known as the cochlear nerve.