The palate develops from the frontonasal and maxillary prominences between 4 and 12 weeks of gestation. During gestational weeks 4 to 7, the primary palate originates from the median palatine process, which itself originated from frontonasal prominence. The lip, alveolus, and hard palate anterior to the incisive foramen all share this origin in development. During this period, disruptions of palatal development process can result in primary palate clefting. The secondary palate develops from the lateral palatine processes originating from the maxillary prominences between 7 and 12 weeks, and the hard palate posterior to incisive foramen and the soft palate are developmental products of this process. As such, disruptions during this time will result in secondary palate clefts. The alveolus is a component of the primary palate, and alveolar cleft results from mal-development of the frontonasal prominence. As such, it is most closely related to cleft lip and cleft palate. Generally, alveolar clefts are located between the lateral incisor and canine

Alveolar cleft is a tornado-shaped bone defect in the maxillary arch. Alveolar cleft occurs in response to divergence from normal development during frontonasal prominence growth, contact, and fusion. The most common alveolar portion of the cleft is located between the lateral incisor and the canine.

Cleft primary palate

Alveolar cleft, Cleft anterior maxilla

Cleft alveolar process of maxilla