When sleep doesn’t feel restorative or rejuvenative, the problem may not be willpower, stress, or age. It may be a structural issue.

In many adults, the maxilla did not reach its intended width during childhood growth. As a result, the upper jaw and nasal floor are narrow, and the airway is small.

That can create unstable breathing, especially during sleep which often leads to:

• Snoring
• Morning fatigue
• Jaw tension, clenching and headaches
• Diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea
• Chronic mouth breathing
• Daytime fatigue
• Jaw tension, grinding, or clenching
• Narrow dental arches
• Difficulty breathing through the nose
• CPAP dependence that manages symptoms but does not address the root cause

Airway Orthodontics focuses on evaluating the structure of the jaws and airway to determine whether skeletal under development is contributing to airway collapse during sleep and the symptoms listed above.

Why Dr. Christensen is So Passionate About Adult Orthodontics & Treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea

“I didn’t come into airway orthodontics from a textbook. I came into it because I lived it.

Early in my career, I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. Like a lot of people, I managed it with appliances for years. After a cardiac event, I had to step back and ask a harder question:

Why is this happening in the first place?

When I started looking at my own jaw structure, I realized my upper jaw was narrow which was restricting my airway and causing it to collapse when I was sleeping.

So I went through expansion and structural treatment myself. It resolved my sleep apnea.

That experience changed the way I practice. I stopped thinking in terms of symptom management and started thinking in terms of structural correction. If the foundation is narrow, we address the foundation.

That’s what airway orthodontics means to me.”

Identifying the Structural Cause of Adult Sleep Apnea

Dr. Christensen does not begin with appliances. He begins with diagnostics. His Airway Orthodontic philosophy is not based on assumptions. It is based on measurement.

A Data-Driven Approach to Diagnosis

Before we make any treatment recommendations, we evaluate:

• Palatal width
• Nasal floor width
• Minimum cross-sectional airway area
• Total nasal volume
• Mandibular position
• Tongue space and resting posture
• Sleep testing

Jaw expansion for adults can widen the maxilla at the skeletal level and help to alleviate sleep related breathing disorders including sleep apnea.

As the maxilla widens:

• Nasal floor width increases
• Nasal volume increases
• Airflow resistance decreases
• Tongue space improves

A Data-Driven Approach to Adult Airway & Sleep Issues

We are committed to a precise, data-driven methodology for diagnosing and treating airway and sleep disorders. Our clinical decisions are never based on guesswork or subjective assessments.

We take comprehensive, objective measurements for every adult patient we treat.

Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT)

Advanced 3D imaging that provides a detailed view of your face, jaws, and airway.

Rhinometry

Measures how well you breathe through your nose and identifies airflow limitations such as deviated septum or swelling.

Sleep Analysis

Evaluates sleep quality, oxygen levels, breathing interruptions, and overall sleep architecture.

This data helps us understand why breathing breaks down during sleep and allows us to build a treatment plan based on your physiology.

Alternatives to CPAP/Oral Appliances

“When we talk about CPAP or oral appliances, we have to be clear about what they’re doing. They’re managing airflow. They’re not changing structure.

If the upper jaw is narrow, the airway is narrow.

What we’re doing with adult expansion is different. We’re widening the skeletal base of the craniofacial respiratory complex.

The goal isn’t just fewer apnea events. The goal is stable nasal breathing and long-term physiologic change.”

Adult Expansion and MARPE/MAPDO

MARPE (Mini-Implant Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion) & MAPDO (Mini-implant Anchorage Programmed Distraction Osteogenesis) are the methods we use to create true skeletal change in adults.

As the maxilla widens:

• The nasal floor widens
• Nasal space increases
• Air moves more easily
• Airway collapse during sleep may decrease

For the right candidate, expansion can lead to steadier breathing at night, fewer apnea events, and reduced dependence on external devices.

Our Outcome Data

We track airway volume, nasal width, oxygen levels, and apnea index before and after treatment.

• Nasal volume increases
• Improved airflow resistance
• Reduced apnea events
• Improved oxygen stability

Not every patient will achieve the same results. That is why we measure every case carefully.

Frequently Asked Questions

What treatments exist besides CPAP?

Options include oral appliances, lifestyle changes, surgery, and structural expansion.

Can I get off CPAP?

Possible with improvement and proper medical supervision.

Are adults too old for expansion?

No. Evaluation determines candidacy.

What is MARPE/MAPDO?

A method for widening the upper jaw at the skeletal level in adults.

What Happens Next

The next step is evaluation.

A Comprehensive Airway Evaluation at our Lewiston, Idaho practice helps determine whether your airway structure is affecting your breathing and sleep and is the first step toward care that patients travel to us for from across the United States, Canada, and beyond.