Bret Christensen, DDS, MS, D-ASBA, F-ALSC
Director of Developmental Dentofacial Orthopedics & Orthodontics
Dr. Bret Christensen is an airway-focused orthodontist dedicated to identifying and treating the root causes of sleep-disordered breathing through craniofacial growth and dentofacial orthopedic development. With more than three decades of clinical experience, his work integrates orthodontics, airway medicine, and sleep health to improve both facial development and long-term systemic health outcomes.
Dr. Christensen focuses on guiding proper jaw development through early orthopedic intervention, airway expansion, and advanced MARPE protocols designed to restore nasal breathing and improve sleep quality. His approach challenges the traditional orthodontic model that focuses only on tooth alignment by emphasizing the importance of jaw growth, airway function, and long-term physiologic health.
He leads Christensen Airway & Orthodontic Center and is board certified in Sleep Medicine through the American Sleep and Breathing Academy—an uncommon distinction among orthodontists. Dr. Christensen also serves as a faculty member with Airway Health Solutions and mentors dentists implementing airway-centered orthodontic treatment models.
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Orthodontic Residency & Master of Science in Oral Biology — University of Louisville
Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)
Chief of Orthodontics — U.S. Army, Fort Bragg
Diplomate — American Sleep and Breathing Academy (Sleep Medicine)
Fellow — American Laser Study Club
Faculty Member — Airway Health Solutions
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My “why” centers on helping patients breathe, sleep, and develop the way the human body was designed. That mission became personal when my granddaughter Everly developed obstructive sleep apnea at just three years old. Instead of accepting surgery as the only option, we developed a small orthopedic expander to gently grow her upper jaw and airway. Over several weeks her maxilla expanded nearly 8 mm. As she began breathing through her nose, her tonsils and adenoids naturally shrank and her sleep apnea disappeared. Watching that transformation reinforced my purpose: to help children and adults restore healthy breathing and long-term health through proper jaw development.
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Ask me why an airway orthodontist also runs an equipment rental company with bulldozers, skid steers, and excavators.
