Patient-friendly definition from the DentistsDirectory.org dental glossary.
The palate is the roof of the mouth — the structure that separates the oral cavity (mouth) below from the nasal cavity above. It has two distinct regions with different composition and function. The hard palate forms the front two-thirds of the roof of the mouth and is composed of bone covered by a thick, firm mucosal layer. The soft palate forms the back third and is a muscular, movable structure with no bony skeleton.
The hard palate acts as a rigid platform against which the tongue presses food during chewing, and its firmness allows the tongue to manipulate food effectively. It also provides the surface the tongue touches to produce many consonant sounds (t, d, n, l, and others). The soft palate is critical for swallowing — it elevates during swallowing to close off the nasopharynx and prevent food and liquid from entering the nasal passage. It also plays a role in the sounds of speech; its position affects whether sounds are oral or nasal.
Cleft palate is one of the most common birth defects, occurring when the halves of the palatal shelf fail to fuse during fetal development. It requires surgical repair in infancy and specialist follow-up through childhood. The palate is also a source of donor tissue for gum grafts — a small strip of connective tissue or epithelium is harvested from the hard palate to cover areas of gum recession or build up thin gum tissue around implants. Oral ulcers, torus palatinus (a harmless bony growth on the hard palate), and certain infections can also affect the palatal tissues.