Having grown up in small-town Texas as part of a supportive and loving family, Dr. Katelyn Blanchard always has had family values in mind. So, it’s no wonder that she chose to start her orthodontic career with a family-oriented practice like Dental Depot.
Originally from Longview, Texas, Dr. Blanchard has had her share of experiences living in larger cities — Austin, Dallas and New Orleans, to name a few — however she prefers the small-town comforts that feel like home.
“I loved growing up in a smaller town. It wasn’t so small that everybody [is in] your business, but small enough where you were an integral part of the community,” Dr. Blanchard said. “[But] life brought us here and I’m just loving it! [Oklahoma City] feels like a small town and people are nice — and the hospitality of everyone — we both love it.”
And that “we” she mentioned refers to Dr. Blanchard and her husband, Neil. Married in February 2017, the couple met during their time at Louisiana State University. Not long after, they made their way to Oklahoma City where Neil is currently doing his anesthesiology residency at OU Medical Center.
From making their home on the Northwest side of Oklahoma City, to joining Frontline Church — for its diverse congregation and servant-minded message — and getting involved in a variety of activities, the couple is eagerly laying down roots to make Oklahoma City their new home.
They joined a city recreation league playing sand volleyball a couple of times each week, and Dr. Blanchard — an avid reader — started a book club with friends.
“We’re gonna try to shake it up,” Dr. Blanchard said about the kinds of things she and her book club like to read. “… nonfiction, business learning books, finance, fiction — I don’t want to say trashy, but you know, sci-fi — all sorts of things. That’s what I love about book clubs is getting you outside of your comfort zone from what you would normally read.”
Speaking of comfort zones, Dr. Blanchard is both in and out of hers daily. While she’s constantly pushing herself with books, athletics, and other activities, she’s certainly found her sweet spot with orthodontics.
“I was really young when I first started talking about I wanted to be an orthodontist,” Dr. Blanchard said. “I talked to my orthodontist and he said I should do orthodontics, and I really took him seriously.”
Dr. Blanchard wavered back and forth between considering a career in dentistry and orthodontics, or medicine, but in the end, she settled on orthodontics for the comprehensive cases — complete makeovers — and the ability to still manage a successful practice with a family life outside of work.
“At the beginning of treatment, we’re trying to express to these kids and adults who have spent their entire life hating their smile … to tell them what we can do is so exciting,” Dr. Blanchard said. “When I step back and think that I have this skill that I can give to people, it is so fulfilling. I hope I never lose that.”
“My favorite part of orthodontics is the day we take the braces off,” she continued. “It’s a celebration of a long journey and a lot of work on our part and the patient’s part. It’s a team effort. A lot of [our patients] are adolescents and it’s amazing to see the parents’ faces when they see their child as a young adult.”
And although Dr. Blanchard and her husband would like to have children of their own someday, it seems that between her patients and her orthodontic team — many of them mothers themselves — she’s exactly where she is supposed to be – in life and in the world.
