During the Flexion Phase, what happens to the palate?

• A. Palate widens and flattens
• B. Palate narrows
• C. Palate elevates
• D. Palate remains unchanged

Answer: (A)

During the flexion phase the cranial vault expands. The bones of the skull shift so the vault widens and the sutures spread apart, which also causes the palatal region to come into a broader, flatter configuration as the maxillary complex moves laterally. This combination—widening and flattening of the palate—fits the expansion pattern of flexion.

Narrowing of the palate would occur with a closing or inward shift (extension), and elevation of the palate would imply a vertical rise inconsistent with the outward expansion seen in flexion. The palate remaining unchanged contradicts the dynamic expansion that characterizes this phase.