HARD PALATE 

Introduction:

The hard palate is the bony, fixed portion of the roof of your mouth. It separates your oral cavity from your nasal cavity and helps you to produce speech sounds correctly. The hard palate is made up of two bones: the maxilla (upper jawbone) and the palatine bone.

These bones are connected by a thin layer of tissue called the palatal mucosa. The hard palate also contains your teeth (except for your front teeth, or incisors), and your palatine tonsils.

Functions of Hard Palate:

The hard palate has two main functions:

• The hard palate is important for proper speech production and eating. When you produce speech sounds, air escapes through your nose. This is because the hard palate acts as a barrier between your oral and nasal cavities. This prevents air from escaping through your nose while you are speaking.
• The hard palate also helps you to eat by directing food to the back of your mouth. When you bite into food, the hard palate elevates so that the food can go to the back of your mouth and be chewed properly.

Conclusion:

The hard palate is an important part of the mouth. It helps with speech and eating. If you have a cleft palate, treatment usually involves surgery to close the opening. This can help to improve speech and eating.