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Dr. B: The most valuable thing I get out of my job, the reason I get up in the morning, isn't so much the technical end, although I do get a lot of pleasure out of that. But the way my practice is structured and the types of people that come to see me, they're more like friends than they are patients. So it's almost like a family reunion every time I come to work, so that's where I get my pleasure. Many of my patients I've seen for well over 30 years. I've watched their kids grow up, and it's more like an extended family rather than a medical setting.
I'm from Athens, Georgia, originally, so if anybody out there is from the Dawg Nation, go Dawgs. University of Georgia is where I went to college. Got a degree in microbiology with a minor in biochemistry, then did my undergraduate dental training at the Medical College of Georgia, and then did a one-year advanced general dentistry at the University of Maryland. Continuing education has always been a big part of my life. I take courses in just about everything. I don't necessarily practice everything that I learn about, but there's always something that you can gain from a course that you take. If it improves the quality of what we deliver to our patients, it's well worth it.
When asked what made him decide to be a dentist, Dr. Jeffrey Blankenship says that first and foremost, he enjoys interacting with people and helping them improve their health and their lives. He also loves working with his hands to build things. In addition, he had a few dental problems as a child that helped him realize firsthand how changing someone’s appearance and the function of their teeth can change how they feel about themselves.
All those things combined were the driving force behind Dr. Blankenship’s desire to serve others through dentistry. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia, then graduated from the Dental College of Georgia with a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree in 1984. Later, he completed advanced training in general dentistry from the University of Maryland.
Today, Dr. Blankenship is a member of the American Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the Georgia Dental Association, and the Atlanta Dental Study Club. In addition, he was a two-time president of the Wilmer B. Eames Dental Study Club.
Dr. Blankenship’s patients love that he is approachable and enjoys having conversations about things other than just teeth. He is down to earth and has a great sense of humor as well. Plus, he has never been one to view himself as being any better than his patients.
Our patients trust his honesty and sincerity in trying to treat them like he would a family member. He involves them in all the decisions regarding their dental treatment. He likes to ask each patient, “What would you like me to do for you?” Then he goes to work to achieve those results.
Dr. Blankenship says that his favorite part of his job is getting to know our patients while sharing his life experiences and their life experiences on a more personal level. Of course, helping patients improve their health, both oral and overall, ranks at the top of his favorite things as well. “It’s an incredible feeling to be able to deliver the results that people hope for,” Dr. Blankenship says.
For Dr. Blankenship, patients always come first in our practice. He holds to our unwritten motto that if it’s not good enough for our family, then it’s definitely not good enough for our patients.
Now that his daughter, Dr. Jordan Blankenship-Sniker, has joined the practice, the name “family dentistry” takes on a whole new meaning. Dr. Blankenship says, “It’s been a thrill to be able to exchange thoughts and opinions about our patient care. She brings a fresh approach to our practice.”
When he’s not busy keeping our patients smiling, Dr. Blankenship enjoys spending time with his family, running, hiking, swimming, or doing almost anything outdoors. He’s even tried yoga and liked it!
One of his latest projects involves helping his wife and his son, Reece, who has autism, build and open Reclif, a fitness-based therapy center for kids and adults with autism and other disabilities. It has been a great challenge but extremely rewarding.