Page 180 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2026

A Decade of Smiles. A Lifetime of Purpose.
For 11 years, Dr. Kinyatta Bennett has been helping families across the Gulf Coast
find more reasons to smile.
Dr. Kinyatta Bennett always knew she wanted to become a doctor. It wasn’t until
high school, however, that she discovered dentistry—and a simple piece of advice
that would stay with her for years to come.
An older woman once told Bennett to “keep on smiling” because her smile would
take her far in life.
It did.
This year, Bennett celebrates 11 years in business as the owner of Healthy Smiles
Family Dentistry, with locations in Gulfport and Pascagoula. But the journey to this
milestone was anything but easy.
When Bennett opened her practice a decade ago, she was stepping into an uncertain
future just one year after losing her husband and business partner, Dr. Christopher
Bennett.
“Every ‘what if ’ was running through my head,” Bennett recalls. “And here we are,
11 years later, growing our team and making a difference.”
Faith, perseverance and an unwavering commitment to her patients carried her
forward.
More Than Dentistry
For Bennett, Healthy Smiles is about more than healthy teeth. It’s about helping
patients feel confident, cared for and comfortable every time they walk through the
door.
Her own experiences have shaped the way she approaches her work. Losing her
mother at a young age and becoming a mother herself as a teenager taught Bennett
resilience early in life. Today, she is a proud mother of three—Laura-Jae, Briana and
CJ—and the leader of two thriving practices.
“Keep your faith—sometimes it’s all that you have to keep you going,” Bennett says.
That faith continues to guide her as she builds her team, serves her patients and
encourages other women pursuing their own entrepreneurial dreams.
Healthy Smiles Family Dentistry
From routine dental care to helping patients feel confident about their smiles, Healthy
Smiles Family Dentistry is committed to providing compassionate, family-focused dental care
in a welcoming environment.
180 | September 2026 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living