Clear aligners are not only for adults. For the right child, clear aligners can correct crowding and bite problems without a single bracket. At our Spokane office, 510 E Hastings Rd, Suite B in Spokane, Dr. Josh Johnson evaluates each child individually — some are excellent candidates, and some are genuinely better served by braces.
Is My Child A Candidate?
Two factors decide it. Development: enough permanent teeth need to be in for aligners to grip and move teeth predictably. Responsibility: your child must keep them in 20 to 22 hours a day and use the case at lunch. A child who follows routines usually does very well; a child who loses a water bottle a week may struggle.
Regardless of appliance, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends a first orthodontic evaluation by age 7. Many children that age need only monitoring; some benefit from early growth guidance, which our other treatments page explains. Aligner or bracket treatment comes later, when the timing is right.
What Treatment Looks Like
We start with a free exam and a digital iTero scan — comfortable, fast, and no putty. That scan produces a Smile Simulation your child can actually see, which helps more than any explanation, and it feeds the aligner sequence Dr. Johnson plans.
From there the routine is simple: wear the current set, switch to the next on schedule, and check in. Because we use DentalMonitoring, your child can scan at home with a phone and we review progress remotely, so trips in from North Spokane or Colbert are less frequent than a bracket case would need. See our technology page.
Helping Your Child Succeed
Wear time is a household habit, not a battle. Build it into the daily routine, keep the case somewhere obvious, set a reminder for switch days, and teach your child to rinse the aligners when they come out and brush before putting them back in. Never let them go into a napkin.
If wear time slips, we will raise it early and talk about moving to braces rather than letting months pass with no progress. The goal is a healthy bite, not loyalty to one appliance.
Practical Details
We are open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and short check-ups are spaced several weeks apart. Fees depend on the case; payment plans and a payment calculator live under patient resources, and we review your insurance orthodontic benefit with you before starting.
Dr. Johnson has practiced since 2006, earned his DDS at the University of Washington and a Master of Science in Orthodontics at the University of Michigan, and belongs to the American Association of Orthodontists, the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists, and the Washington State Society of Orthodontists. Meet our team or read our patient reviews before you book.
Aligners Or Braces For A Child?
Both work; the deciding factors are development and temperament.
- Aligners suit children with enough permanent teeth, a correction within aligner mechanics, and reliable routines.
- Braces suit children still losing baby teeth, cases needing complex movement, or households where 20 hours of daily wear would be a nightly argument.
There is no penalty for starting one way and switching. We would rather move a child into braces than watch a year produce nothing.
What Parents Should Expect To Manage
Aligner treatment shifts a little responsibility from the orthodontist to the household. You are the one confirming the aligners went back in after lunch, that the case came home, and that the switch happened on the right day. Most families settle into it within two weeks.
Replacement aligners occasionally become necessary, and we will explain how that is handled before you start. Fees depend on the case; the payment calculator and financial information live under patient resources, and we review your insurance orthodontic benefit up front. For the wider picture of treatment options, see orthodontic treatment.
Get Your Free Smile Consult
Evaluations are free. Call or text (509) 277-9773 or contact us to schedule at our Spokane office.