The palate separates the oral from the nasopharyngeal cavities during swallowing and it is also important for speech.

The hard palate is formed of the palatine process of the maxilla and the horizontal part of the palatine bone (Fig 1).

The soft palate is suspended from the posterior aspect of the hard palate and blends with the pharyngeal wall laterally and forms the uvula in its central portion (Fig 2).