Forty Under 40: Cody Friddle

Cody Friddle cut his teeth, so to speak, in Texas. But his home — and the family business — is in Fort Smith.

After earning a biology degree from Baylor University in 2002 and a doctorate from the Baylor College of Dentistry in 2006, Friddle came home and joined his father’s family practice as a partner.

Growing his patient listings through expansion — opening Friddle Dentistry satellite offices in Van Buren and Lavaca — has highlighted his time there.

The clinic in the Lavaca Wellness Center is the first of its kind in Arkansas, established through a grant awarded to the district by the Arkansas Department of Education.

The clinic provides dental services not only to students, but to the entire community.

The practice has eight employees split between the three locations, but Friddle said he has plans to add another full-time dentist before the end of the year.

An additional satellite office in Northwest Arkansas is a possibility “down the line,” he said.

Friddle prides himself on round-the-clock accessibility — “if you’re hurtin’, we’ll take care of you” — while maintaining a healthy balance between work and family.

With a wife and four small children, that’s no easy task.

A long-term goal, he said, is positioning the business well enough to allow taking time for a long-term missionary trip for his church.