Can a palate expander fix a cleft palate?

No: A palatal expander helps get the child with a cleft palate ready for bone grafting to repair the hole in the gum line. The expander is used to align the gum line in the proper position. It is not used to fix the palate.

No.: But it can be useful in positioning the right and left alveolar processes of the maxilla...Prior to surgical repair of the cleft.

Unfortunately not: No, sorry. It would do the opposite.

Not it's job: Palatal expander used to widen a narrow upper jaw. It does not correct a cleft, but properly repositions the 2 halves of the upper jaw from side-to-side. Repair of the cleft usually means some surgery. Talk to the cleft team about what's being done and why.