Parents in Liberty Lake often ask whether their child can skip braces and go straight to clear aligners. Sometimes the answer is yes. At our office at 21950 E Country Vista Dr, Suite 100A in Liberty Lake, Dr. Josh Johnson gives you a straight assessment rather than selling the appliance you asked about.
Two Questions That Decide It
Are enough permanent teeth in? Aligners need teeth to grip. In a mouth still losing baby teeth, movement is unpredictable, and waiting a few months often produces a better plan.
Will your child actually wear them? Twenty to twenty-two hours a day, every day, with the case used at every meal. Some children handle that easily. For others, fixed braces are the more reliable investment because they work without anyone remembering.
Separately, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends a first orthodontic evaluation by age 7 — an evaluation, not a commitment. Our other treatments page covers the early growth-guidance treatment that a minority of children need.
How We Plan And Monitor
Records are digital: an iTero scan takes minutes, produces a Smile Simulation your child can see, and drives the aligner sequence. We print in-house and use DentalMonitoring, so your child scans from a phone between visits and we confirm the teeth are tracking the plan without an extra drive in from Greenacres or Otis Orchards. Details are on our technology page.
In-office checks are short and several weeks apart, and we are open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m..
Making It Work At Home
- Attach wear time to existing routines — in after breakfast, in after dinner, in before bed.
- Keep the case visible and in the backpack, not in a pocket.
- Rinse aligners on removal, brush before reinserting.
- Water only while wearing them; anything else stains the aligner and traps sugar against enamel.
- Keep the previous set as a backup until the next check.
If wear time slips, we will tell you early and discuss switching to braces. Letting months pass with no progress is the one outcome we will not quietly accept.
Practical Details
Fees depend on the case; there is a payment calculator and financial information under patient resources, and we review your orthodontic insurance benefit before treatment begins. Dr. Johnson earned his DDS at the University of Washington in 2002 and a Master of Science in Orthodontics at the University of Michigan in 2005, has practiced since 2006, and is a member of the American Association of Orthodontists, the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists, and the Washington State Society of Orthodontists. See our patient reviews and why families choose us.
Questions Parents Ask
- Is my child old enough? It depends on how many permanent teeth are in, not on birthdays. We will tell you at the evaluation.
- What if they lose one? Call or text (509) 277-9773, wear the previous set, and we will sort out a replacement.
- Can they eat normally? Yes — aligners come out for meals, so nothing is restricted. That is a real advantage over braces.
- How will we know it is working? DentalMonitoring scans from a phone plus periodic in-office checks. If teeth stop tracking, we find out in weeks, not months.
- What does it cost? Case-dependent — see the payment calculator and financial information under patient resources.
When We Recommend Waiting
Plenty of children we evaluate are not ready for any appliance yet, and starting early would mean treating twice. In those cases we schedule periodic growth checks and wait for the right window, which our other treatments page explains in the context of two-phase care.
Being told to wait is not a brush-off; it is the recommendation that produces the better result. When the timing does arrive, we will lay out both aligner and braces options with a clear recommendation, and you can see the wider range of care on orthodontic treatment.
Get Your Free Smile Consult
Book a free evaluation — call or text (509) 277-9773 or contact us for our Liberty Lake office.