Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon
Dr. Joshua Blanton grew up in central California. He studied Biology and Chemistry at Vanguard University. Partway through his undergraduate studies, Josh married his high school sweetheart, Candace. Dental school took the newlyweds first to Bradenton, Florida and then to Eerie, Pennsylvania for Dr. Blanton’s dual-campus dental training at LECOM School of Dental Medicine.
After the completion of his Dental School training and receipt of his D.M.D. (Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry), Dr. Blanton and his growing family moved to Miami, Florida where Dr. Blanton was selected as a resident at Jackson Memorial Hospital in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery program. During his extensive and world-class training, Dr. Blanton worked under the guidance and expertise of world-renowned faculty members in the field of Maxillofacial Surgery, an honor and privilege he will always be grateful for. While Miami city life was not a Blanton family favorite, the hospital case load at Jackson Memorial was both extensive and paramount in conditioning Dr. Blanton’s surgical skills. During his residency years at Jackson Memorial, Dr. Blanton received extensive surgical experience in trauma, pathology, anesthesia, reconstruction, TMJ treatment, corrective jaw surgery and dental implants. In 2020, Dr. Blanton completed his surgical residency and was presented the award for “Outstanding Surgical Skills” from among his fellow residents.
The day after graduation, Dr. Blanton and his family drove from Miami to Montana as quickly as they could so that Dr. Blanton could begin his work in private practice the next week at Kalispell Oral Surgery where he is now co-owner. Dr. Blanton is a board-certified (American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery) oral surgeon trained in full-scope Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. In addition to private practice, Dr. Blanton enjoys hospital privileges with Logan Health and regularly takes trauma call there both for his own personal fulfillment as well to help serve a crucial need in the Flathead Valley community. Dr. Blanton also serves as anesthesia evaluator for the Flathead Valley, along with his partner Dr. Shepherd.
The Blanton family has been so honored and blessed to be welcomed into the Flathead Valley community and the Kalispell Oral Surgery family these years. When Dr. Blanton is not in the office or at the hospital, he loves spending time with the family on their little homestead; tending to the vegetable garden, taking care of the animals, tackling art or science projects, exploring nature, and enjoying good books and movies together. He also enjoys hunting, fishing, fitness, and carpentry.
“Getting to know people, getting to share in the things that they enjoy, getting to share a little bit of themselves, and then also sharing a little bit of myself with them, just letting them know who I am, what I enjoy – it’s always fun to connect with the patient.”
