Hard Palate

The hard palate is a thin horizontal bonyplate of the skulllocated in the roof of the mouth. It spans the arch formed by the upper teeth. The hard palate is covered with stratified squamous epithelium layered over dense connective tissue which attaches to the underlying bone.

The hard palate is important for feeding and speech. Mammals with a defective hard palate may die shortly after birth due to inability to suckle (see Cleft below). It is also involved in mastication in many species. The interaction between the tongue and the hard palate is essential in the formation of certain speech sounds.