Most orthodontic offices focus on straightening teeth. We focus on the root of the problem behind the crooked and crowded teeth.
That difference can mean better sleep & breathing, healthier growth for your child, and results that hold up over time.
“Orthodontics isn’t just about lining teeth up. If the jaw is narrow and the airway is restricted, you’re treating symptoms. We start with structure.”
—Dr. Bret Christensen
“Orthodontics isn’t just about lining teeth up. If the jaw is narrow and the airway is restricted, you’re treating symptoms. We start with structure.”
—Dr. Bret Christensen
Dr. Christensen was diagnosed with sleep apnea years before he took it seriously. After suffering a heart attack, he began connecting the dots. Sleep apnea was not just snoring. It was affecting his heart and overall health.
That realization shifted his focus from cosmetic alignment to airway health and how orthodontics can affect overall health and long-term wellbeing.
For patients, that means your treatment plan is built around health, not just appearance.
When Dr. Christensen’s three-year-old granddaughter began struggling with sleep, he decided not to wait.
She had night terrors. Bedwetting. She stopped breathing repeatedly during the night.
Instead of waiting for her to grow older, he widened her upper jaw to improve nasal breathing. Within weeks, her sleep stabilized and her behavior improved.
For families, that means we do not dismiss early signs. If something feels off with your child’s breathing or development, we evaluate it carefully.
Dr. Christensen is a numbers person
Since 2013, our team has tracked measurable airway changes in hundreds of patients. Out of more than 1,000 treated cases, over 340 have consistent, standardized data sets.
In growing patients, expansion has produced average airway increases of 42 to 46 percent. In adults, skeletal expansion has added three to eight cubic centimeters of nasal volume in many cases.
For patients, this means your treatment is not based on opinion alone. We measure before and after. If something works, it shows up in the numbers.
Out of those experiences came structure.
The SPACE Framework™ organizes how we approach airway-focused orthodontics:
Screen
Prioritize function
Assess with data
Create space
Evaluate outcomes
This framework gives families a clear roadmap. You understand why each step matters and how it connects to breathing, growth, and long-term stability.
Crooked and crowded teeth are often signs of a narrow jaw or unstable breathing.
When the upper jaw is narrow, the floor of the nose is narrow. When the tongue has no room, it rests low. Over time, that can affect sleep, focus, growth and development.
Traditional orthodontics aligns teeth within the space that exists. We evaluate whether that space is adequate in the first place.
For patients, that means fewer surprises later and more stable results over time.
We use objective tools to guide decisions:
This allows us to see whether treatment is actually improving structure and breathing.
For families, that means clarity. We can show you what changed, not just tell you.
Airway-focused orthodontics can help patients of all ages.
For children, early evaluation allows us to identify narrow jaw development and breathing instability before patterns become fixed. Guiding growth during childhood can support healthier jaw development, create room for nasal breathing, and often reduce the need for more complex orthodontic treatment later.
For adults, skeletal expansion can increase nasal volume and improve airflow resistance. Many adult patients report deeper, more consistent sleep. For patients with obstructive sleep apnea, expansion may reduce the severity of apnea events and, in some cases, decrease reliance on CPAP machines or oral appliances.
The goal is not simply alignment. It is structural change that supports stable breathing and long-term function.
Christensen Airway & Orthodontic Center serves Lewiston, Moscow, Grangeville, and surrounding communities throughout North Central Idaho.
Patients travel from across the United States and Canada, including the Pacific Northwest, California, and British Columbia, seeking airway-focused orthodontic care that prioritizes measurement, function, and long-term outcomes.
But our foundation remains local. We treat families, siblings, and multiple generations. For you, that means long-term relationships, not one-time transactions.
We do not guess. We measure. We treat structure deliberately. And we protect long-term stability.
