HYRAX Palatal Expander

A Hyrax appliance is a fixed rapid palatal expander (RPE) used in orthodontics to widen a narrow upper jaw. It features a heavy-duty expansion screw located in the middle of the palate, which is connected to stainless steel bands cemented onto the upper molars. By gradually turning the screw with a special key, the appliance exerts pressure on the two halves of the upper jaw bone, separating and widening the mid-palatal suture before it fuses completely during adolescence.