The palate (also known as the ‘roof of the mouth’), forms a division between the nasal and oral cavities. It is separated into two distinct parts:
Hard palate – comprised of bone. It is immobile. There are three main foramina/canals in the hard palate:
Incisive canal – located in the anterior midline, transmits the nasopalatine nerve.
Greater palatine foramen – located medial to the third molar tooth, transmits the greater palatine nerve and vessels
Lesser palatine foramina – located in the pyramidal process of the palatine bone, transmits the lesser palatine nerve.
Soft palate – comprised of muscle fibres covered by a mucous membrane. There are five muscles which give the actions of the soft palate. They are all innervated by the pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve (CN X) – apart from Tensor veli palatini – which is innervated by the medial pterygoid nerve (a branch of CN V3)
It can be elevated to close the pharyngeal isthmus during swallowing –
