Henry Advanced Orthodontics

Five Smiles,
​One Very Special Family

A decade of beautiful smiles, shared milestones and an extraordinary connection with Dr. Henry and Henry Advanced Orthodontics.

henryadvancedorthodontics.com

For nearly a decade, Dr. Chris Henry of Henry Advanced Orthodontics has cared for every one of the Williams family’s five children. Somewhere along the way, orthodontic appointments became friendship, community, and a connection that has grown far beyond orthodontic care.
Their story began in 2017, shortly after Dr. Henry purchased the practice from Dr. Liz Gesenhues. Chamane and Marcus Williams brought in their oldest daughter, Kennedy, who had a crossbite and was preparing to begin comprehensive orthodontic treatment. Kennedy would be the first of five Williams children, including Coretta, Avin, Gwendolyn and Aniyah, to grow up in Dr. Henry’s care, creating a connection between the family and the practice that has now spanned nearly a decade.

“We’ve had the privilege to help transform all five of the Williams children’s smiles into a special expression of who they are,” Dr. Henry says. And with one Williams child in treatment during nearly every year he has practiced in St. Johns County, he has had the rare opportunity to watch not only their smiles change, but the children themselves grow up.

But almost from the beginning, the connection extended beyond braces. Dr. Henry remembers recognizing something special in Chamane Williams from their earliest meetings as a mother who “poured wholeheartedly into her family.” As the years passed, their lives began overlapping outside the orthodontic office, too. Chamane helped connect the practice with Wards Creek Elementary, where Henry Advanced Orthodontics became a sign sponsor, supported the school carnival and even participated in reading oral-health books to students.
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Eventually, the relationship became personal when Dr. Henry and Suzanne married in 2019, the Williams family was there to celebrate with them. “They have been like family to us,” Dr. Henry says, “from smiles to sharing coffee.” That feeling is mutual. “Dr. Henry is extraordinary in our eyes,” Chamane says. “From the moment you walk through his doors, he makes you feel right at home. Confident, warm and deeply attentive, he ensures that every single visit feels personal.”

The Williamses intentionally created a space
where people could linger and connect.

One moment from Kennedy’s early treatment has stayed with her all these years. After putting on her braces, Dr. Henry called the Williams home simply to see how she was doing. “Who does that?” Chamane remembers thinking. “Dr. Henry does.” That kind of care made the family's decision easy as each younger sibling reached orthodontic age. In fact, their trust survived a move from World Golf Village to Hastings. Rather than find a closer orthodontist, the family continued making the roughly 30-mile drive back to Henry Advanced Orthodontics. “We simply couldn’t imagine going anywhere else,” Chamane says. Nine years after Kennedy first sat in Dr. Henry’s chair, the youngest Williams child is now completing treatment, bringing one chapter of the families’ shared story full circle.
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Another chapter has been unfolding in Hastings, where Chamane and Marcus unexpectedly found themselves becoming small-business owners. Five years after moving there, they were given the opportunity to take over what became Hastings Coffee Co. What began as an unexpected leap has grown into a gathering place that celebrates the agricultural history, culture and ongoing revitalization of the small St. Johns County town. “To know Hastings is to love it,” Chamane says.

Inside the coffee shop, local artwork and historical touches tell the story of a community once celebrated as the Potato Capital of Florida. The Williamses intentionally created a space where people could linger and connect. Over the years, its tables have hosted everything from book clubs and Bible studies to Mommy & Me gatherings, business meetings and community planning sessions.

Naturally, Dr. Henry and Suzanne have become regulars, too. Their favorite order? An iced Honey Badger with oat milk. And the Williams family has seen the Henrys outside both the orthodontic office and coffee shop, including racing a custom-built, supercharged lawnmower down Main Street during Hastings’ Cabbage, Potato & Bacon Festival. Dr. Henry laughs that anyone wanting the full story should stop by Hastings Coffee Co., order a Honey Badger and ask Chamane for the details.

Through five children, countless appointments and years of watching the Williams family grow, Dr. Henry and Suzanne have become part of their story, and the Williamses, in turn, have become part of theirs. Today, the family has five beautiful smiles to show for the journey, but the true measure of those years can be found in the trust, friendship and genuine affection that grew right alongside them.