Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Studying Orthodontic Tooth Movement in Mice
Published on: August 2, 2024
Do pediatric dentists practice the orthodontics they are taught?
Kelly K Hilgers1, Deborah Redford-Badwal, Susan Reisine
1Department of Orthodontic, Pediatric and Geriatric Dentistry, University of Louisville School of Dentistry, Louisville, KY, USA. hilgersk@yahoo.com
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to determine whether the orthodontic treatment provided by pediatric dentists reflects the orthodontic training received in pediatric dental residency programs.
Methods:
Five questions from a survey of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) diplomates in August 2002 and a survey of pediatric dental residency program directors in June 2002 were statistically analyzed to compare the orthodontic treatment provided by diplomates to that provided within pediatric dental residency programs.
Results:
Patient populations differed financially between pediatric dental residencies and diplomates of the AAPD. Residents treated significantly more public assistance patients. The residents were more likely than diplomates to use most orthodontic appliances and treat most stages of dental development and most conditions/malocclusions with orthodontics. Diplomates anticipated a decrease in the amount of orthodontic treatment provided in the next 5 years, while program directors anticipated an increase.
Conclusions:
The majority of the orthodontic treatment provided by pediatric dental residents and diplomates was similar, although the residents were exposed to more diverse orthodontic treatment modalities than those used by diplomates. The residencies were also more likely than the diplomates to increase the amount of orthodontic treatment provided in the next 5 years.
Related Concept Videos
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
Associative Learning
Classical conditioning, also known...
Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
Operant Conditioning Intervention
In operant conditioning, behaviors that are...