Fovea Palatine

# Fovea palatine situated in hard palate are significant as: 

A. Termination of maxillary denture

B. Opening of minor salivary gland ducts 

C. Indicates closure of mid palatine raphe 

D. Opening of greater palatine canal

The correct answer is B. Opening of minor salivary gland ducts. 

Palatine fovea

These are the orifices of common collecting ducts of minor palatine salivary glands.

The fovea palatini are two depressions that lie bilateral to the midline of the palate, at the approximate junction between the

soft and hard palate.

They denote the sites of opening of ducts of small mucous glands of the palate. They are often useful in the identification of the

vibrating line because they generally occur with in 2 mm of the vibrating line.

The hamular process, or hamulus, is a bony projection of the medial plate of the pterygoid bone and is located distal to the

maxillary tuberosity. Lying between the maxillary-tuberosity and the hamulus is a groove called the hamular notch This notch

is a key clinical landmark in maxilla) denture construction because the maximum posterior extent of the denture is the vibrating line that runs bilaterally through the hamular notches.

The hamulus can be palpated clinically and it can be a possible site of irritation in denture wearing patients, touches this process. The tendon of the tensor villi palatine muscle runs across the hamulus to reach the soft palate. Under the

tendon is a small bursa (membrane between the moving tendon and the hamulus. Inflammation and pain can result from the denture mechanical irritation by unstable dentures.