Ask. Dr. Budd!

Smiles are important. No one knows this more than Dr. John Budd, a local specialist in Orthodontics for children and adults. Recently, ZONA asked Dr. Budd, a long time, loyal participant in the magazine, if he would be our “go to guy” for inquisitive readers with questions on how to keep a beautiful smile and maintain healthy teeth and gums. If you have a question for Dr. Budd send them to stories@iminthezona.com.
The first question came from a 12 year old boy named Tom Randle from Phoenix.

Hi Budd, I was wondering what the difference is between an orthodontist and a dentist? Pretty simple question, I know, but I’m clueless.
Dear Tom-
Thank you for writing to me. To answer your question, all orthodontists are dentists, but not all dentists are orthodontists. After an orthodontist graduates from dental school and becomes a dentist, he or she then goes to another three years of school to learn how to become an orthodontist. This makes an orthodontist a specialist – someone who is good at fixing a very specific problem – in this case crooked teeth and jaws. Orthodontists only practice orthodontics. We don’t clean teeth, place fillings, do root canals, or anything other than straighten teeth with tools like braces or Invisalign.

The next question comes to the good doctor from a “curious parent” from Mesa.
Dear Dr. Budd, how do orthodontists save room for the permanent teeth?

Dear “Curious Parent”,
As your child’s baby molars start to get loose, there is something that orthodontists refer to as “leeway space”. This space is the difference between the sizes of the larger baby molars and the smaller adult bicuspids. If this space is preserved through the use of a space maintainer, it can help gain the space needed to straighten crowded teeth. If tooth eruption is left alone and proceeds naturally, the six year molars will almost always drift forward and use up the “leeway space”.

Today’s final question comes to us from Tammy from Phoenix.

Hi Budd, my 10 year old has one crooked tooth, is there anything we can do for just one crooked tooth, or does she need braces?

Dear Tammy,
Comprehensive treatment is usually the preferred way to go. It addresses not just the alignment of the teeth, but also form and function. Having said that, there are options for treating just one crooked tooth. The most common option for children is probably some version of what is known as a spring retainer. This can be effective in aligning one tooth that is slightly out of alignment or in cross bite. However, it should be noted that retainers are really designed for holding teeth in position, not for moving them to a new position. If your child needs anything other than minor movements for one tooth, it is usually best to do something more comprehensive.