Dr. Kirsten M. Gosney was born and raised in Temple, Texas. She attended Thornton Elementary, Bonham Middle School and graduated from Temple High School in 1995. As the daughter of a veterinarian, she was always intrigued by science and knew she wanted to do something to help others. She set her sights on becoming a dentist at a young age. She graduated top of her class at Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Minor in Chemistry and went on to attend the best dental school in the nation, The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio Dental School. At the age of 25, she earned her Doctorate in Dental Surgery in 2002 and became a board-certified dentist.
Following graduation, she continued her education by completing a General Practice Residency at the Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Hospital in Temple. During her residency, Dr. Gosney dealt with extremely complicated medical histories and advanced her clinical skills at a postdoctoral level. Over her career, she has provided dental care through the Public Health Service on an Indian Reservation in South Dakota, treated mothers and children through the WIC program in San Antonio and has completed multiple mission trips. She worked in Austin as an associate for a few years before opening her own dental practice in Lakeway in 2005.
After getting married to another Temple native, Chad Collins, they made the decision to move back to their hometown to raise their son, Cameron, closer to their family. She started Temple Smiles Family Dentistry in 2021 and is looking forward to providing dental care in her hometown.
Lori Honeycutt started her dental career 39 years ago as a certified dental assistant in Waco. She worked for Dr. Delmon Alexander for almost 10 years before returning to school where she received an AAS in Mechanical Drafting from Texas State Technical Institute.
It was at this time that Lori moved to the Temple area. Fortunately, she was not successful in finding a position utilizing her drafting degree, so she returned to dentistry. She began working for Dr. Jude Arisco in Temple as a dental assistant in 1991. After a few years, he encouraged her to return to school once again and become a dental hygienist. In 1997, she received her AAS in Dental Hygiene from Lamar University and returned to Temple to begin her new role as a dental hygienist. In total, Lori worked for Delmon Alexander for over 10 years over 29 years with Dr. Arisco before he retired in October of 2020.
Lori has known Dr. Kirsten M. Gosney for many decades and the opening of Temple Smiles Family Dentistry provided an opportunity for them to work together. She has worked at TSFD for 5 years, ever since the very first day TSFD opened! Celebrated 45 years in dentistry this year.
Haleigh was born and raised in Belton, Texas, and she has proudly called this community home her entire life. She met her husband, Anthony, in high school, and together they are raising three wonderfully wild children—two boys and a girl. Haleigh entered the dental field more than 10 years ago as a receptionist and quickly discovered how much she loved helping patients feel comfortable, cared for, and at ease. She especially enjoys getting to know patients over time and building relationships that make each visit feel more personal.
Haleigh is often the friendly voice you hear when you call our office and the smiling face you see when you arrive for your appointment. She is grateful to be part of the close-knit team at Temple Smiles Family Dentistry, where everyone supports one another and truly feels like family.
Outside of work, Haleigh’s favorite place to be is with her family, cheering on her kids at the baseball fields or soaking up sunshine together by the pool.
With nearly four decades of experience, Susan has been proudly serving the dental community since 1987. As a Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) who has worked across every specialty field in the profession, she brings a wealth of comprehensive knowledge to Temple Smiles Family Dentistry. Today, she is one of the friendly voices patients hear when calling the office, where she specializes in navigating the complex world of dental insurance claims to maximize their benefits. Her absolute favorite part of her job is building lasting relationships with patients and helping them confidently achieve their oral health goals.
When Susan is not in the office helping her patient family, her life revolves around her own wonderful family and a love for the outdoors. She absolutely cherishes spending quality time with her three grandkids, traveling with her husband and their two beloved dogs, riding their Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and spending relaxing days out on the water boating.
Meet Ava
Meet Ava, Dr. Gosney’s three-year-old parti-colored miniature schnauzer and the unofficial—and entirely self-appointed—office manager at Temple Smiles. At just eight weeks old, Ava began coming to the office a few days a week so she wouldn’t be left home alone. It didn’t take long for her to train the staff to meet her every request, including turning up her nose at perfectly good water if there wasn’t ice in her bowl.
Needless to say, Ava quickly developed a fan club among our patients and is now a permanent fixture at Temple Smiles. First thing each morning, she makes sure all employees are in their proper locations and checks that no one has played with any of her toys without permission. If someone is late or a toy has been moved, she makes sure the entire office knows about it.
When Dr. Gosney occasionally arrives without Ava, the disappointment can be felt throughout the office. We now add Ava’s commitments to the schedule to avoid complaints when it becomes clear that this furry, pampered diva is taking the day off.
Ava enjoys greeting patients and, if invited, may sit with them during their dental care—as long as it doesn’t interfere with her demanding nap schedule. She is also available for occasional comfort, toy supervision, and quality-control inspections of the office.
If you’re a dog lover, you’ll probably enjoy Ava’s friendly hello. If dogs aren’t your thing, no worries at all—she’s happy to give you your space. Ava is simply an animal companion who brings a little extra comfort, personality, and plenty of charm to the office—along with very strong opinions about ice water.