Hard palate

Hard palate
Mouth (oral cavity)
Upper respiratory system, with hard palate labeled at right
Details
ArteryGreater palatine artery
NerveGreater palatine nerve, nasopalatine nerve
Identifiers
Latinpalatum durum
MeSHD021362
TA98A05.1.01.103
TA22779
FMA55023
Anatomical terminology

The hard palate is a thin horizontal bony plate made up of two bones of the facial skeleton, located in the roof of the mouth. The bones are the palatine process of the maxilla and the horizontal plate of palatine bone. The hard palate spans the alveolar arch formed by the alveolar process that holds the upper teeth (when these are developed).