Dr. Melissa Kennedy was born in Indiana, but has been in Georgia since she was an infant. She grew up in East Cobb, went to Walton High School where she was in the Latin Club, Beta Club, and National Honors Society, and then continued on to the University of Georgia. In the midst of her college endeavors, she was called to care for her grandfather, and in doing so, transferred to Kentucky Wesleyan College for the completion of undergrad. There she participated in Student Government Association, Kappa Delta sorority, did marine biology research in Belize, and obtained her degree with a major in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. All of her life, she was always the closest to her grandmother. But the journey of caring for her grandfather in his last years enabled them to become extremely close, and she will always cherish that time with him. He taught her so much!
She knew she wanted to be a Dentist from a very young age, and always pointed out peoples teeth to her Mother, and while in elementary school, was always drawing pictures of all of the different types of smiles and teeth that she encountered. She was elated to be able to continue her education at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry, where she obtained her DMD degree. There she won an award for her excellence in Implantology, and took a trip to the Dominican Republic to do missionary dental work through the Christian Medical and Dental Association.
Due to family connections, Dr. Kennedy stayed in Louisville for 8 more years before moving back to Georgia, the true home of her heart. Her passion is forming lasting patient relationships through trust, transparency and compassion, while also enjoying the artistic aspect of Dentistry. She believes in treating the health of her patients as a whole body, not simply focusing on the mouth. She loves learning new things in Dentistry every day and is fascinated by the continual changes and advances that encompass Dentistry today. Patient comfort and education is a priority for her. Dental anxiety is prevalent in today’s society, so she does whatever she can to ensure her patients’ appointments are as comfortable and yes, even as fun as possible! She also believes knowing and understanding the how’s and why’s of dental disease and pathology help her patients to WANT to strive for better health for themselves. Her true joy comes from seeing her patients happy and healthy!
Dr. Kennedy lives in Marietta with her two Golden Retrievers, Livvy, her golden girl, and Lovett, her English Creme boy. She spends a lot of her time taking care of their health and exploring new trails with them. She knows that they are only here for a short time, so she tries to keep them as happy everyday as possible. She is also a huge Bulldogs fan, and everyone close to her knows that during the CFB season, her life rotates around their football schedule. She loves all types of music, has an addiction to sushi, enjoys traveling and hiking, and is an avid tennis shoe collector of all brands and styles. You’ll probably catch her in the office wearing a different pair every time you see her! Dr. Kennedy is super excited to be back in the East Cobb Community and can’t wait to meet you!
