What is a Hard Palate?
The hard palate is an area in the oral anatomy of humans and animals. It is part of the palate or roof of the mouth, which forms a bridge between the upper teeth, and also partitions the mouth and nose so that these cavities are separated. This structure can be broken into two parts: the hard palate and the soft palate. Each plays a distinctive role, and each is important. For people who are curious, the hard palate can be see in a mirror when the mouth is opened wide and the head is tilted back.
The hard palate is located in the anterior or front of the mouth. Humans can feel their hard palates by sticking their tongues against the roof of the mouth. They may note that this area feels hard and bony, explaining the name. By contrast, the soft palate, found in the back of the mouth, gives easily to the touch, with a flexible, springy texture.
This anatomical structure is formed in utero as the skull fuses. In some people, the palate fails to seal shut, resulting in a condition known as cleft palate which usually needs to be repaired surgically. The soft palate has no backing of bone, explaining why it is much softer than the bony hard palate. The palate helps people to eat and breathe, and in the case of humans, it plays a very important role in speech, as the interaction between the tongue and the hard palate is necessary to produce a variety of sounds, such as the hard “t” in “tree.”
Unless someone has a cleft palate, he or she will generally not experience problems with the palate over the course of a lifetime. Like other areas of the body, however, the palate can develop cancerous growths and tumors. Palate cancer is more common in people who use tobacco products, but it can strike anyone, and it can cause serious medical problems, obstructing the mouth so that it is difficult for the patient to eat, breathe, and speak.
Lumps in the palate do not necessarily mean cancer. A growth known as a torus can occur in the hard palate. This growth takes the form of a hard lump which will grow slowly over time. Patients may opt to have a torus removed if it makes them feel uncomfortable or interferes with eating and speech. An ear, nose, and throat surgeon can perform the surgery to remove the torus.
Written by S.E. Smith
