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Dr. Jordan: I grew up in the dental field. My mom is a hygienist and my dad is a dentist, as you know. They were a little bit poor when they first started out, so they couldn't afford a babysitter, and I ended up coming to the office a lot, meeting the patients, and getting passed around from hygienist to hygienist and front-desk lady.
As I grew up, I started exploring other career options. I thought about law. I actually ended up graduating with a political science degree and realized that I wasn't going to be happy doing that. I wanted to actually help people and be a part of their lives. When I started coming to the office when I was older and in college, I realized, This is where I'm supposed to be. I get to be artistic, I get to be creative, I get to provide a health service, and I love it.
I ended up going to dental school at Medical College of Georgia, and the name's changed a couple times. I think they're Dental College of Georgia now. That was actually Dad's alma mater, so I gave him a little bit of that "yeah, we're together" kind of thing. I spent four years there, and when I graduated dental school, I knew that my education wasn't done. If I was going to come back and work with the best dentist I knew, then I needed to be the best dentist I could be.
I took a residency at the University of Utah hospital. My husband and I lived in Salt Lake City for the past year, and I was doing hospital training, we were doing sedation, very medically complex patients. I just expanded my career and it got me where I wanted to be, so when I came home I could be just like Dad.
The most rewarding part is definitely seeing your patients smiling after they're done with a procedure. I know that sounds cliché, but it's true. I love what I do because of the people I get to work with and the people that I come around in the office. When they come to me with a problem, and we're able to work together and get them through that and they leave in a better situation than they came to me, that's the most rewarding experience for me.
Dentistry is in Dr. Jordan Blankenship-Sniker’s blood. Growing up around dentistry with her father, Dr. Jeffrey Blankenship, it was almost her destiny to follow in his footsteps. From a young age, she was molding smiles with Play-Doh, brushing her stuffed animals’ teeth, and watching her parents work in the family dental practice.
Dr. Jordan says, “Mom would clean the teeth, Dad would fix them, and whenever I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was, ‘A dentist!’” She explored other careers from time to time but always returned to her roots.
She attended Clemson University and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 2011, then earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University in 2016. Throughout her undergraduate and postgraduate years, Dr. Jordan received many awards for her academic and leadership skills. After completing her general practice residency at the University of Utah Hospital, she officially became the newest dentist at Blankenship Family Dentistry.
For her, dentistry wraps up the best aspects of all careers. She can be artistic, a critical thinker, an entrepreneur, and a healthcare provider all in one. Even after a long day at work, Dr. Jordan still returns to the office in the morning with a smile on her face because she loves what she does.
Dr. Jordan believes that her patients appreciate her open and honest time with them. She makes sure to create a comfortable, judgment-free atmosphere where their concerns and fears are addressed and procedures are explained in basic terms. Her chairside manner is one of her strong suits. She appreciates each patient and the friendly relationships that form from their visits.
On the weekends, you’ll find Dr. Jordan outside with her husband, Aaron, and their two big mountain dogs either exploring new trails, cheering on the Clemson Tigers, or grilling in the backyard with friends and family.