FRACTURES OF BONES OF THE FACE. 
91 
objects. During the progress of dental operations fractures result if the 
animal, especially when operated on standing, suddenly moves, and the 
operator does not follow the movement with his forceps. Incautious 
attempts to loosen the tooth with the forceps may also produce fractuie 
of the submaxilla. In compound fractures the broken ends or splinteis 
of the bone are found in the wound. When the facial plate of the supeiioi 
maxilla is thus affected the corresponding sinus is opened, and air passes 
in and out during respiration. _ 
The symptoms consist of swelling, salivation, defective and painful 
mastication ; the molars are found to be loose, and the gums wounded; 
crepitation may sometimes be detected. 
Prognosis depends chiefly upon whether the fracture is subcutaneous 01 
complicated. In the former instance, recovery generally occurs in three 
weeks ; in the latter, a much longer time is required. Complications 
result both from injury to the skin, and to the mucous membrane of the 
mouth and gums. In compound fractures with exposure of the supeiioi 
maxillary sinus or alveoli of the teeth the prognosis should be cautious. 
Treatment of subcutaneous fractures only requires restriction to soft 
food. Bemoval of loosened teeth, which may easily convert a simple 
fracture into a compound one, should be deferred. When the gum 
remains attached, and the root is not exposed, loose teeth again become 
firm. Fractures of the superior maxilla, complicated with cutaneous 
wounds, must be treated by antiseptic methods. If pus formation has 
commenced, strict cleanliness must be enforced, and loose splinters of 
bone removed. Complicated fractures, involving wounds of the gum, 
require similar precautions. Even with abundance of soft food, animals 
rapidly loose condition, and economical considerations often suggest that 
cattle be killed rather than treated. In a thoroughbred mare Holler 
saw transverse fracture of the superior maxilla nearly above the roots 
of the incisors. The fracture was caused by falling on the mouth, and 
all the incisors were displaced downwards and backwards towards the 
tongue. As the fracture had already existed for several days, replace¬ 
ment could not be immediately effected, but was at length attained by 
the attendant, according to instructions, daily exercising pressure on the 
dislocated teeth. Being gradually brought into normal contact with the 
lower incisors, the act of mastication helped to maintain them m position, 
and complete recovery resulted. > . . 
The gravity of fractures of the malar bone depends on their position. 
When involving the orbital process, they resemble those of the orbital 
process of the frontal bone and the zygomatic process of the temporal 
bone. When affecting other portions, they may open the superior 
maxillary sinus, or loosen the attachment of the masseter muscle, 
causing difficulty in feeding, while the fragments may become 
