VETERINARY DENTAL SURGERT. 9 



exit to the facial division of the fifth nerve and a 

 branch of the superior dental artery. The internal 

 surface forms the sides and most of the floor of the 

 nasal cavity. At the posterior part of this surface is 

 a deep excavation which helps form the maxillary 

 sinus. The inferior or palatine surface forms the 

 greater part of the floor of the nasal fossa by which 

 it is separated from the mouth. The under part of 

 the palatine process is furrowed by numerous small 

 grooves and a deeper groove near its outside border 

 which lodges a branch of the palatine artery, being 

 separated from the molar teeth by the alveolar pro- 

 cess.* The superior border is thin, convex, grooved 

 and serrated to articulate with the nasal, pre-maxilla, 

 lachrymal and malar bones. The inferior border is 

 thick and strong, and is divided into quadlateral cavi- 

 ties which correspond to the number of molar teeth, 

 and in which they are lodged. These cavities are 

 known as alveoli. The alveolar tuberosity, a rugged 

 eminence, is located just back of the last alveolus. 

 Anterior to the first alveolus the border is thin and 

 covered by soft tissues helping to form the interdental 

 space. The posterior extremity is thickest and rep- 

 resents the alveolar tuberosity, in the interior of 

 which the maxillary sinus is prolonged. Within 

 this eminence, is a wide and deep excavation known 



*Sometimes in grasping a molar tooth with the forceps, this artery becomes 

 wounded and may prove troublesome to the operator unless the hemorrhage 

 can be checked. 



