GLOSSARY

The hard palate is the front, bony part of the roof of the mouth that separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity and provides a firm surface against which the tongue presses and mashes food.

Structure

• Bones: the palatine process of the maxilla (about the front two-thirds) and the horizontal plate of the palatine bone (the back third).
• Covering: tough mucosa with transverse ridges (rugae) that help hold and move food.
• Small salivary glands in the back part.

Functions

• A fixed surface for the tongue to press food against during chewing and swallowing.
• Separates the food passage from the air passage, allowing chewing and breathing at the same time.
• A role in speech (producing some consonants such as “t” and “sh”).

Clinical Application