Dr. Bryant Speed never thought anything at all about the decision to open his orthodontics practice in Selma. As he said, “It was an easy decision. It was home.”

Since 1967, Speed has served the children — and adults — in his hometown, a service he looks back on quite favorably as he prepares to retire in the coming months.

“We had a patient a few minutes ago that came in here and I had treated their mother,” Speed said. “We have treated a lot of children, and their children over the years. That means a lot to me.”

Although he is retiring and turning the practice over to another Selma native — Dr. Brett Wood — don’t think for a moment his future plans don’t include Selma.

“She [his wife, Ann] hears all these stories about husbands hanging around and creating more jobs for the wife,” Speed said. “So she pretty much has mixed feelings [about retirement]. She likes the idea, but she wants me to have plenty of do.”

With nine grandchildren, a to-do list at home, church programs he wants to help with and plans to visit the coast again for some shoreline fishing already on the agenda, Speed said he will also keep up another part of his career. That would be teaching.

“For about 30 something years, I’ve taught at the UAB School of Dentistry in the orthodontics department,” Speed said. “Most of those years, I went one day a week, but there was a stretch in there where I was going two days a week.”

He said the teaching gives his “engine a boost” each week and has made his career quite unique.

“It has given me an unusual career,” Speed said. “I got to enjoy private practice, but I also got to be with some of the sharpest people in the world. They [orthodontic residents] are really bright people that are good, hard go-getters. It’s really been an enjoyable experience.”

As Speed recounts his career, and the technological advancements made in his field, he says the principles of the job are still the same.

“We still use the same principles. We still have to evaluate jaw size, tooth size and make it all fit,” Speed said. “We just make it fit in a different way.”

Since the news of his retirement spread through the community, Speed said he has heard nothing but positive reactions, especially with Wood coming on board.

Even as he begins his transition to retirement, a decision he said did not come easy, he does take joy in the tradition of service his patients have come to expect.

“It’s fun when a mother comes up to you when we are treating their child and tells you, ‘I wore braces from here’ or whatever,” Speed said. “Sometimes I have a hard time remembering them, but I’ve found that if I look at their teeth I can remember them better than seeing their face.”

With the laughter aside, Speed really isn’t fixed on the retirement date itself, admitting he really doesn’t have a date set.

“Brett got here at the first of the month. I guess whenever he tells me he’s ready, I’ll step aside,” Speed said. “The decision to retire was hard. It was hard, because I probably waited too long. But, I still love what I am doing.

“But, you finally have to. You have to get out of the way for these young guys.”

Speed said even after retirement, in addition to teaching at UAB, he will still be on call to help Wood if needed.

“I’ll come down here when Brett needs some time away,” Speed said smiling.