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Meet John Budd of Budd Orthodontics in North Phoenix and Arcadia/Biltmore Area

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Today we’d like to introduce you to John Budd.

Thanks for sharing your story with us John. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was a business management major in college with an emphasis in finance and thought I would continue in my dad’s footsteps working in the finance and insurance fields. I did an internship for Lexus Financial Services – an arm of Toyota Motor Corporation – during the summer of my sophomore year. I really did not enjoy it. Looking back, the position I held in that internship was not much more than a “glorified copy assistant” and was not indicative of what a career in finance would have been, but I did not understand that at the time.

My uncle, who practiced as a local dentist, asked me how my internship was going. When I told him I didn’t think finance was something I was going to enjoy long-term, he invited me to come by his office to watch him work and see if I thought it would be something I would enjoy. I made the decision to apply to dental school and was accepted. It actually took me five years to graduate from college because I finished my business degree, but still had to complete all the prerequisites for dental school admission.

While in dental school, I had every intention of practicing as a general family dentist, but during my sophomore year of dental school, I completed a rotation through the orthodontic specialty clinic. I loved it! I loved seeing how happy the patients were the day the braces were removed and they saw their new smile for the first time. I loved working with both children and adults and found that the mechanics of how to move teeth intuitively made sense to me. I decided to apply for an orthodontics residency and was accepted. I had to complete an additional three years of orthodontic residency training following my four years of dental school training at UC San Francisco while completing my master’s degree in Orofacial Sciences.

After I completed my training, it was 2008 and there were almost no private practice opportunities available. Those who nearing retirement age were delaying retirement and not selling their practices and those existing practices were not hiring associates. I was fortunate to get a job with a corporate dental chain as their orthodontic specialist, which I held for two years while the economy recovered. I then began a start-up orthodontic practice in a our current suite at our 32nd Street location, where Dr. Fred Hassig was finishing up his career. A couple of years later, I purchased a second small practice when Dr. James Jarman passed away unexpectedly. That has become our current Bell Road location. I have now been practicing for almost 12 years and have loved being an orthodontist.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Starting a practice from scratch is a huge challenge, but also very fulfilling once you get some momentum. You have the ability to be really creative and kind of put your own footprint on everything that you do. On the other hand, getting efficient systems set up so everything runs smoothly from an administrative perspective takes a lot of time and effort. That has been probably been the hardest obstacle to overcome while being the most rewarding at the same time.

Also, my team of front office staff and clinical assistants is critical to what I do on a daily basis and I have been fortunate to assemble an amazing team to work with. It took some trial and error to find the right fit for each position but having talented, dedicated people to work with makes each day much more enjoyable and our patients notice it.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
My business provides comprehensive orthodontic treatment for children, teens and adults. Our services include Invisalign, metal braces, clear braces, surgical orthodontic treatment, retainers, expanders – basically anything related to orthodontic treatment. About 2/3 of our practice is patients 17 or younger and about 1/3 of our practice is made up of adults. Our oldest patient currently is 77 years old. You are never to old for orthodontic treatment!

I think what sets us apart is we really design our office systems to make patients not feel like a number. There are many orthodontic practices where a patient may go several appointments without any contact with the doctor. I make a point of seeing every patient at every visit – not just to deliver excellent clinical results, but so I can get to know each patient as a person. We talk about this culture frequently in our staff meetings. Patients should always be greeted by name and we actually chart in their clinical notes things like weddings, vacations, extracurricular activities, sports, etc. This makes me proud to represent Budd Orthodontics because we really do care about our patients and always recommend the treatment that is best for them and not necessarily best for the business. Sometimes no treatment is the best treatment. I am the only orthodontist in the practice so I am very aware of what is happening with each patient.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I would describe myself as a pretty average kid who was an above-average student – maybe even a little geeky. I liked to play sports and loved animals. I had a butterfly collection as a little boy. (geeky). I had a paper route and painted address numbers on curbs to earn extra money. I played high school basketball and served in student government. I always had a job in high school. I worked as a delivery boy for a pharmacy and sold ice cream at Anaheim Stadium where the Angels play. I was involved in my church and in Boy Scouts. I have three older sisters and a younger brother who happens to be a dentist as well in Nevada.

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