After more than three decades serving the River Region, Dr. Mark Kingry has built a career rooted in excellence, relationships, and a genuine passion for helping others. In this conversation, he reflects on the early days of launching his orthodontic practice, the evolution of technology in his field, and the deeper purpose that continues to motivate him each day. From leadership and lifelong learning to faith and service, Dr. Kingry also shares heartfelt insight into the role his wife, daughters, and now grandchildren play in shaping this meaningful season of life.
BOOM!: You’ve practiced orthodontics in Montgomery for more than three decades. When you look back at those early years, starting your practice in 1993, what stands out most to you today?
Mark: First, I was blessed to be an associate with and then purchase a practice from a great orthodontist, Dr. Eugene Brown. He taught me how a professional should treat patients and be involved in the entire dental community.
Those early years were definitely a learning experience. In dental school and orthodontic residency, you don’t receive much in the way of business training. Then you find yourself in the real world as a solo practitioner running a small business with all the things that go with it. Human resources, business taxes, payroll, equipment, and changing technology were all areas I had to learn on the fly.
BOOM!: You grew up in Dothan but chose to attend Huntingdon College here in Montgomery. What was it about this community that made you decide to build your life and career in the River Region?
Mark: There were two main reasons: First, I met my wife, Beth Anderson Kingry, while at Huntingdon. She grew up in Montgomery and graduated from Robert E. Lee before attending Huntingdon. Secondly, a practice opportunity was available. I always knew I wanted to have my own practice, but opening a new one is very daunting. I was introduced to Dr. Brown during my first year of orthodontic residency, and he was interested in bringing in an associate to purchase the practice when he retired.
My experience in Montgomery while at Huntingdon was positive, and I had been involved with the Frazer Church College Ministry, where I had met many friends, which was another reason I felt comfortable returning to Montgomery to practice and raise a family.
BOOM!: Orthodontics has changed dramatically over the years—from traditional braces to digital treatment planning and customized aligners. What excites you most about how technology is improving the care you’re able to provide your patients?
Mark: Traditional braces still make up over 50% of the treatment we do, but customized braces, behind-the-teeth braces, and aligners comprise about 35% of our current treatments. In the digital world, we can now take a 3D scan of the teeth, use software to move the teeth and predict the final outcome, then have customized braces or aligners 3D-printed to fit exactly and proactively move the teeth to the final position. That is exciting to me, but for patients, the exciting part is that with more controlled tooth movement and proactive planning, treatment times and office visits can be reduced, making the patient experience so much better.
BOOM!: After more than 30 years in practice, what still motivates you when you walk into the office each morning?
Mark: My motivator is creating smiles for patients that change their lives and give them confidence to share their smile with others. After 32 years, I am now also able to treat children of patients that I treated years ago, and to hear them recall their experience and share how orthodontics gave them confidence and changed their smile is always a fun motivator.
BOOM!: You’ve also taken on leadership roles in the profession, including serving as President of the Alabama Orthodontic Association. What have those xperiences taught you about leadership and serving others in your field?
Mark: Serving in leadership in the dental and orthodontic associations allowed me to understand that we are colleagues and not competitors. We all want the best for patients, and organized dentistry can work to promote care for patients that individual practices often can not provide on their own. The challenge of leading your peers and serving also makes you up your game a bit. I am always humbled and amazed at the strengths of others in the room, and they challenge me to grow my skills and knowledge far beyond the specific role I had the opportunity to serve in.
BOOM!: Many people don’t realize that orthodontics is both science and artistry. What do you enjoy most about helping create a smile that can change someone’s confidence for life?
Mark: Yes, orthodontics is science and dentistry. To move a tooth, you have to understand bone biology and how a tooth can be moved, you have to understand physics and how to exert a specific force on a tooth to move it in the proper way, and you have to understand chemistry to know how to get a brace to bond to a tooth. But then you have to have an artistic eye to have a vision of where to place the teeth in the face to bring about the best possible smile for any given face. This means that each patient gets an individual treatment plan, and braces are placed differently for each patient to achieve the best results for that individual.
Actually, the thing I enjoy most is being able to teach patients a small portion of why and how we are changing the smile. This then gives them the understanding of why we are doing what we do and how they play a role in the process. Orthodontics is a partnership with the patient; both the orthodontist and the patient have to do their part to get the ideal results.
BOOM!: Family clearly plays a huge role in your life. You and Beth have raised three daughters—what has been one of the greatest joys of watching them grow into adulthood?
Mark: The greatest joy has been seeing the seeds of the Christian faith we tried to plant in them grow and develop. While each of them approaches their faith differently, as they are in different life stages, they all now challenge our faith by the way they serve and lead. Each of them is connected to a church, has a small group that they either participate in or lead, and love others. We could not ask for more than to know that they have grown and thrived while maintaining the values of our family.
BOOM!: Now you’re enjoying a new season as grandparents. What has it been like watching your grandsons grow and develop?
Mark: Everyone tells you that grandparentsing is awesome, but you can’t understand until you’re there. When you are young and parenting, you can get so bogged down in the day-to-day of kids, work, and school, that it’s easy to miss the blessing of just spending time with little kids. As grandparents, you may not see them every day or have to “parent” every situation, so you are freed up to be a little more present. It has been so interesting to see them take on the traits that make their parents who they are, while still recognizing family traits that get passed from both sides of their family.
BOOM!: You and your wife have also become “foster grandparents” through your daughter’s foster parenting journey. How has being part of those children’s lives shaped your perspective on family and faith?
Mark: It has been quite profound. About five years ago, our middle daughter became a foster parent. She felt a calling to share her faith by ministering to those kids. It also quickly became a realization that we unknowingly became foster grandparents. The Bible tells us to care for widows and orphans and those less fortunate, and this journey has given us the opportunity to do that in a practical manner. We have been able to hold, love, care, play, and share with these kids the love of Christ in a way I never fully understood before. I didn’t know that God could fully give you a love for a child that’s not yours or even one you will never adopt, but when you are exposed to a child for 1 ½ years, feeding, changing diapers, getting up in the night, your faith is stretched to where you never dreamed.
Foster care and foster grandparenting are messy, with lots of highs and lows, and tears of both joy and sadness. We have been exposed to all sides, and while the goal is always reunification with the biological parents, that’s not always possible. Through our daughter, we have been a part of seeing kids go back to parents, kids being adopted and not seeing them again, as well as a special situation where we have been able to stay connected and be the 3rd set of “grandparents”. It has made me realize that, regardless of race, background, or socio-economic situation, a child is a blessing from God and we are all created equally.
I believe as a Christian our calling is to love those placed in front of us, in the best way we can, while we have the opportunity, and that this is a practical way that we can put our faith into action.
BOOM!: Your family makes a point to take an annual trip together. Why has creating those shared experiences become such an important tradition?
Mark: Beth and I believe that experiences were more important for our girls than things. We wanted the girls to be able to see different things and travel to different places. It also creates a time when the whole family is together and has to rely on each other. As they have gotten older, they continue to see the value of carving out time in their schedules to be together. As the families have grown and we now have 4 families to coordinate, it becomes harder, but we are blessed that even as adults, our kids and their families all like being together.
BOOM!: Outside the office, you stay active through swimming, biking, running, and participating in local events. How important has physical activity been in helping you stay energized and balanced through the years?
Mark: Exercise has been a huge part of the last 15 years or so. Prior to that, while I tried to stay in shape, raise a family, run a business, and be active in church professional leadership roles, I was headed down the path of not taking time to care for myself. Thanks to a great group of runner friends that we dubbed the TLRC, I was able to learn to enjoy the encouragement of and connection with a group while beginning to enjoy the challenge of distance running and then biking. That led me to challenging myself with races, triathlons, and ultimately to doing a Full Ironman race.
While some of the process was probably a bit extreme at times, the habits of setting goals and having to physically challenge myself helped me get through my 40’s and 50’s. Now into my 60’s, I’m no longer pushing as hard on the endurance side; it’s now more about strength training to aid in longevity and make sure I can keep up with them as long as possible. Exercise has given me both physical benefits, but also emotional benefits of focus, relaxation, and camaraderie with other like-minded people.
BOOM!: You and Beth also enjoy traveling and experiencing other cultures. What have those experiences taught you about people and the world beyond Montgomery?
Mark: Well, our first experience of experiencing other cultures was living in New Orleans for two years during my residency. We realized that ways of living and traditions that may have been different from the way we were raised were just different, not bad. That realization has allowed us to see travel as an opportunity to experience and appreciate something beyond ourselves. To realize that people are people around the world and that kindness, respect, love, and smiles translate worldwide, even if you may not share the same language or background.
BOOM!: You’ve been part of the River Region community for many years through your practice, church, and family life. What do you enjoy most about living here?
Mark: I think the thing we have enjoyed the most through the years is being close to family and the friends we have developed. It’s also convenient to so many places within 2-4 hours.
BOOM!: As someone who has stayed curious and continued learning throughout your career, what advice would you give others about staying engaged and growing as they move into their 50s, 60s, and beyond?
Mark: It’s important to continue to be curious, be willing to change, and maybe even fail. We grow as we stretch ourselves to do new things. I’m not planning retirement anytime soon, but when that time comes, I’m sure I’ll constantly be looking for opportunities to learn and grow new skills.
BOOM!: When you look ahead to the next chapter of life, what are you most excited about—both personally and professionally?
Mark: Personally, there are two things I’m excited about. Most importantly, to influence the next generation through my grandkids. The fact that we are close enough to them to spend regular quality time with them is a blessing. Second, to do that, I have to continue to maintain strength and health, which involves adjusting and modifying my exercise routine to support longevity.
Professionally, I’m excited about new things happening in orthodontics, from customized behind-the-teeth braces, remote monitoring, where patients can scan their teeth from home to make sure they are staying on track with treatment, to the application of AI into treatment and workflows to make patient care more efficient and comfortable for patients. The future of making patients smile is exciting.
Quick Take with Mark
Favorite way to start the morning: Wake up 4:45-5, Coffee, 3-mile run, then lift weights at the gym, 15 minute quiet time to read the Bible. Then shower and off to the office.
Best family vacation spot so far: We took the kids to Alaska in 2012, and they still talk about kayaking to glaciers and the unreal scenery, but we have been going to Big Sky, Montana, to ski every couple of years since 2004, so the kids and now sons-in-law and grandkids think we need to continue that tradition.
A hobby that helps you unwind: Exercise!
Favorite local restaurant: La Jolla
Something patients would be surprised to know about you: I’m an introvert at heart. While I function and sound like an extrovert at the office all day and function well around others, I like my quiet times.
Best advice you ever received: Marriage is not 50/50. Some days it’s 0/100, and others are 100/0. You need to approach it with a sacrificial heart and to give the best you can every day.
One word that describes this season of life: Content
We thank Dr. Kingry for sharing his story with us! If you know someone who would make a great cover profile, please email jason@riverregionboom.com.