The dentistry on 155 C Street that’s been around for years is changing hands, but fortunately it will remain a family dentist office. Dr. Bruce Dow and his wife Michelle have been managing Dr. Bruce Dow, DDS for more than 30 years and at the beginning of June, Dr. Kirk Arritt will take it over.
Bruce Dow grew up in Mineral County, his dad being the fire chief at the Hawthorne Army Depot base. He has seven siblings, six of whom still live in Hawthorne. The Dow family went to Dr. Harvey for their dental needs and Bruce realized when he was in high school that he wanted to pursue dentistry as a career. He attended University of Nevada, Reno, then the Marquette University School of Dentistry in Wisconsin, graduating in 1980. With his family back in Hawthorne, Bruce came home and him and Michelle took over the small odontology business in 1982, enlisting his friend and his niece to help manage it.
Dr. Bruce Dow has met a great need in rural Nevada since it is the only dental office within hundreds of miles. Over the last few decades, the Dows have been moving forward and growing the business to six employees and five dental chairs. It has 2,500 patients in its database.
“We take care of a huge swath of central Nevadans; there’s nothing else around,” Michelle says.
“We have a very busy practice; this is a very needed thing,” says Michelle. “When you don’t have a dentistry in your area then property values go down, it affects a lot.”
Therefore, now that the Dows have decided to retire and do a little traveling, they are thrilled that they found Dr. Kirk Arritt to buy the business and keep serving the residents of Mineral County.
“He contacted us in February and will be taking it over June 1, so this transition is happening extremely fast,” Michelle explains. “The whole staff is staying, and he will bring some fresh air in here, we’re excited to have him take it over.”
Dr. Kirk Arritt graduated from the University College of Dentistry with honors in 2014, received the Army Commendation Medal after serving four years in the Army treating US soldiers, and is active in several organizations including the American Dental Association and OKU Dental Honor Society.
“We’re staying in Hawthorne but want to do a little traveling and love the Nevada desert. We’ll be here and our family will be going to Dr. Arritt,” Michelle smiles.
