When you’re choosing a professional — doctor, dentist, accountant, lawyer — you rarely consider someone you’ve known since first grade because…well, you’ve known them since first grade. And by the time you reach 40, that’s a lot of years bearing witness to a person’s flaws and mistakes.
Kathryn (from this point forward referred to as Katie because that’s who she’ll always be to me) Siemens, DDS is the exception to this rule. She is the exception to every rule. Because after knowing her for almost 4 decades, there is no one I trust more implicitly with my family’s dental health and care than her.
Katie is the consummate professional. You might assume that about her since she was a Clovis West High School valedictorian, a UCLA graduate, and a UOP dental school alum. But her excellence extends far beyond her professional pedigree. Everything about her (and her practice) invokes a sense of trust and peace.
Up until I reunited with Katie a few years back, going to the dentist was an absolute nightmare. Dread. Avoidance. Massive anxiety. An enormous black and blue cheek from a routine filling.
Miraculously, Katie has made dental visits, dare I say, pleasant. She understands the need for AirPods blaring in my ears during fillings. She is tempered in her treatment approach, never recommending something for my kids that she wouldn’t encourage her own family to do. She patiently answers questions, assuages fears, and walks through everything she is doing.
For the past 15 years as a dentist (13 as the owner of her own practice), Katie has served her hometown, both in the office and in the community. She has helped thousands of patients through volunteering and her general and family dentistry practice.
When she says she works in family dentistry, she means she treats her patients like they are her family. Her goal is quality, patient-centered care, and an office that feels like a dental home for both patients and staff.
The thing that really brightens Katie’s smile about her work is knowing that she’s contributing to people’s overall health and happiness. Seeing others flourish means she is flourishing.
As Katie looks ahead to what the next 5 years will bring personally and professionally, she can’t help but be excited. In just a few short months, Katie will be welcoming her newest patient: her long-awaited, already beloved baby boy. And with him, the blessed challenge of crafting a balanced life as a working mom.
On the professional front, Katie’s plans include incorporating more digital technology into her practice, as well as the possibility of adding an associate to her fabulous team.
If you’re looking for some A+ advice from this 5-star dentist, here it is:
- Get regular checkups: They’re essential to both your dental and overall health. Dental conditions can be good indicators of general health and wellness. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
- It’s all about that paste, ’bout that paste: Make sure you’re using a fluoride toothpaste and brush your teeth for 2 minutes twice daily. Most electric toothbrushes come with a 2 minute timer built in, making it impossible to fail.
- Hydrate: For your health and happiness. Water is good for your teeth and good for your life.
- Floss: As Dr. Seuss so wisely noted in The Tooth Book, “and when you get your second set, that’s all the teeth you’ll ever get.” Katie recommends flossing daily the ones you want to keep.
Katie is easy to find and easier to love as a dentist and a person. You can track her down online via her website: www.siemensdds.com. Or stalk her on the socials: @siemensdds on Insta and Dr. Kathryn Siemens/@siemensdds on Facebook. Or just call her (559-229-3556) to set up your first appointment and get your dentist-dreading days behind you!
I’ve known Katie since first grade. I’ve seen her in action for the majority of our lives. In our young lives, she stood out for her brilliance, her confidence, and her talent. In our mid-lives, she is as kind as she is capable, as full of integrity as she is of experience. She’s my WCW and my dreamgirl dentist. I can only hope for 40 more years of dental care and friendship with her.
This makes me want to have her as my dentist!!!
I mean, you obviously should.
I met Katie through Rotary and because of her demeanor and decorum I thought I would give her a spin and see if she was as good as she appeared. She exceeded my expectations and is a genuinely caring dentist of the highest quality credentials and practice. I would highly recommend her to anyone who cares about their teeth! She is of the highest quality of character and she also is a character..(.I mean through the kidding, joking & fun).
I agree! She continues to impress me.