Forty Under 40: Dr. Kenton A. Ross

A native of Wynne, Dr. Kenton A. Ross attended the University of Arkansas and decided then that, if he were to practice dentistry in Arkansas, it would be in Fayetteville. He graduated from the University of Louisville’s dental school in 1995, moved on to a general dentistry residency at the University of Tennessee and returned to Northwest Arkansas in June 1996.

Ross joined the practices of Dr. Bill Dill and Dr. Harvey Smith for his first 15 months back. In late 1997, he opened his own office.

“I was always interested in science,” Ross says. But it was his experience as an oral surgery assistant while in college that led him to his chosen profession. “It’s been a decision that turned out to be well made,” he says. “It’s very rewarding to get to know people on a one-on-one basis.”

Recently, Ross was given the Arkansas State Dental Association’s “New Dentist Award,” an honor that bestowed by his peers in the field. He’s served on the association’s New Dentist Committee for three years and currently is a member of the Academy of General Dentistry’s Council on Dental Education.

He’s active in the Rotary Club of Fayetteville, the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown/Dickson Street Enhancement Project and Central United Methodist Church and is a monthly volunteer at the Northwest Arkansas Free Health and Dental Clinic.