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Fig 6.
Healthy Palate
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To observe the palate (Figure
6), the health professional must gently bend
the infant’s or child’s head back.
Directing the light onto the surface of the
palate, the health professional should observe
pink, moist surfaces. Toward the anterior teeth,
rows of tissue varying in height will be present.
About two-thirds of the way back on the palate
will be an area dividing the soft palate from
the hard palate. The tissue should be pink,
smooth, and soft. The soft, fleshy mass that
hangs from the rear of the soft palate is the
uvula. If the uvula is “Y” shaped,
it is called a bifid uvula.
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