Vasculature and Innervation of Palate

The palate has a rich blood supply, chiefly from the greater palatine artery on each side, a branch of the descending palatine artery. The greater palatine artery passes through the greater palatine foramen and runs anteromedially. The lesser palatine artery, a smaller branch of the descending palatine artery, enters the palate through the lesser palatine foramen and anastomoses with the ascending palatine artery, a branch of the facial artery. The veins of the palate are tributaries of the pterygoid venous plexus.

The sensory nerves of the palate are branches of the maxillary nerve (CN V₂), which branch from the pterygopalatine ganglion. The greater palatine nerve supplies the gingivae, mucous membrane, and glands of most of the hard palate. The nasopalatine nerve supplies the mucous membrane of the anterior part of the hard palate. The lesser palatine nerves supply the soft palate. The palatine nerves accompany the arteries through the greater and lesser palatine foramina, respectively. Except for the tensor veli palatini supplied by CN V₃, all muscles of the soft palate are supplied through the pharyngeal plexus of nerves.