The Hard palate reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Hard palate

The Hard palate is a thin horizontal bony plate of the skull, located in the roof off the mouth. It spans the arch formed by the upper teeth. It forms a partition between the nasal passages and the mouth. This partition is continued deeper into the mouth by a fleshy extension called the soft palate.

The interaction between the tongue and this palate is essential in the formation of certain sounds and patterns of speech, notably "T", "G", and "K".

In the birth defect called cleft palate the left and right portions of this plate are not joined, forming a gap between the mouth and nasal passage (a related defect is hare lip). Cleft palate has a severe impact upon the ability to speak but is now cured through reconstructive surgical procedures at an early age (where such procedures are available).

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