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Former champion athlete turned acclaimed orthodontist Dr Haylea Blundell says her curiosity and quest for learning led her onto the right career path in dentistry. By John Burfitt
Dr Haylea Blundell has scooped the pool in recent years in orthodontics, earning a wide range of international awards and citations for her innovative approach to methodology and her deep dive research work, with a special focus on clear aligners.
Even so, the Bendigo-based practitioner remains sharply on the lookout for the next big thing to emerge in her specialised area of orthodontics, as she’s never believed in resting on her laurels.
“In whatever area of dentistry you’re in, you must keep learning and looking out for what is changing and how that impacts the work you’re doing,” she says. “Being inspired in my work is what drives me, as I have this determination to always be better at what I am doing than I was a year ago.
“Look, I have always been like this,” she adds. “It started when I was a kid and has not changed that much!”
High achiever
As a child, Dr Blundell was a champion gymnast, winning the Australian Gymnastics Championships three times in tumbling and representing Australia at an international level, including competing in the World Championships at the age of 12.
She retired from the sport at age 16 to focus on her school studies but says the lessons she learned about being committed to her training and competition set her up well for a career in dentistry.
“In gymnastics, you are always learning a new skill and once you have achieved that, you are then looking for the next thing to learn, so you can reach the next level,” she says. “When I moved into dentistry, I was so intrigued by how much there was to learn and that made me determined to see what I could achieve.
Aligners are such a hot topic in orthodontics right now and the research I have been involved with is of real clinical significance that has take-home messages for dentists and orthodontists to use in their own practice.
Dr Haylea Blundell, owner, Bendigo Orthodontic Specialists
“At dental school, I was always looking into different aspects, to see what I could learn and, importantly, where that might take me. After I graduated, that approach eventually led me into orthodontics and I’m so glad it did as at one stage I really wondered if dentistry was even for me, but I then discovered orthodontics and have never looked back.”
Her own practice
Dr Blundell completed her dentistry studies at Victoria’s La Trobe University in 2015, then landed a job in general dentistry in Melbourne. After dedication to her studies, including a masters, the reality of working in general dentistry soon made her question if she was on the right career path.
“There were aspects of the job that after a while made me wonder if dentistry was my ‘forever’ role and I then lost interest very fast; I just didn’t enjoy it,” she recalls. “There seemed to be a lot of rejection, and dealing with patients’ anxiety about even coming in was tough.
“I knew this was not for me, but in some ways, it was also something of a blessing because if I hadn’t become so disillusioned, I would not have pushed into orthodontics.”
Dr Blundell relocated to Brisbane to pursue three years of specialised orthodontic training at the University of Queensland, where she graduated with a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry – Orthodontics degree in 2020.
Just weeks after graduation, she started from scratch her own practice, Bendigo Orthodontic Specialists.
“I am still not sure if I was fearless at that time or an idiot as it was an enormous challenge to take on, with the completely new fit-out and learning how to run a business,” she says. “There were many weeks when I was treating patients during the day and then sitting up to 3am working out systems, templating documents and ordering supplies.
Aligners are such a hot topic in orthodontics right now and the research I have been involved with is of real clinical significance that has take-home messages for dentists and orthodontists to use in their own practice.
Dr Haylea Blundell, owner, Bendigo Orthodontic Specialists
“But I didn’t feel I had much choice as I had made such a massive commitment to this, and back in my hometown of Bendigo as well, so I had to make this work.”
Strategically, however, she knew it made good business sense. There was only one other orthodontic practice in Bendigo at the time, so Dr Blundell knew demand would be high. Before the practice even opened, she was booked out for three weeks in advance.
She also quickly found dealing with patients as an orthodontist was very different to her experiences in general dentistry. “It’s a much more rewarding and positive experience for everyone,” she says. “As an orthodontist, I feel I can make a real change in people, like when I have kids coming in who are getting bullied at school about their teeth. Or if it’s someone who is so conscious about their teeth they are afraid to smile. I love knowing I can do something to help change that for the better.
“Orthodontics is not just fixing teeth. It has such a holistic benefit for the patient that goes way beyond their teeth and can help give new insights into so many other positive areas of themselves. That is, more than anything, what keeps me going with this.”
Research interest
Her experiences with patients also fuelled a new focus on research, particularly into the development and application of clear aligners. She has been involved in the publication of a number of studies and has presented on the topic at conferences in Australia and overseas. She is due to speak at the International Orthodontic Congress in Rio de Janeiro later this year.
“Aligners are such a hot topic in orthodontics right now and the research I have been involved with is of real clinical significance that has take-home messages for dentists and orthodontists to use in their own practice,” she says.
“It is important to know more about them as we are discovering aligners are not the be all and end all that some people think they are. Being informed of their limitations can be really important to learning better ways of applying them.”
Inspiring others
In recent years, Dr Blundell has also returned to La Trobe University as an honorary associate professor in orthodontics, presenting eight lectures every year. Returning to La Trobe, she explains, is her chance to continue a legacy that she benefited from during her student years.
“We had an orthodontic academic named Dr Rob Mayne who was so inspiring and one of the people who encouraged me to keep exploring other avenues like orthodontics. He was a great mentor, and I am now driven to pass it on to the next generation and, hopefully, be the person who inspires them to keep exploring.”
Another mentor Dr Blundell credits with sparking her passion for orthodontics and research is Brisbane practitioner Dr Tony Weir, one of her academic and clinical supervisors at UQ.
“When I first met Tony, I told him I wasn’t interested in research and wanted to do a quick, easy project. Tony always reminds me of this every time we publish an article together!” she laughs.
“Tony has been a driving force behind my success in the research awards and publications on clear aligners. Just like Rob before him, I owe him a lot.”
Whether it is presenting lectures at university, or speaking at dental conferences, Dr Blundell says her mission these days is to inspire emerging dental talent.
“It feels like my chance to maybe help light a fire among the students,” she says. “I want them to know there are many paths in dentistry, so if the first one doesn’t work out—as it didn’t for me—then there might be a better fit elsewhere, as I found with orthodontics. I know this is what I want to commit to for years to come.”
