Dr. Kennedy

Dr. John A. Kennedy Jr.

Greenville Native

Raised in Greenville, Dr. Kennedy is a Mauldin High School graduate. His dedication to customer service, and ultimately patient service, began at the age of eight while pouring soft drinks in the drive-thru of the McDonald’s of Mauldin, which his parents owned and operated. These experiences instilled in him the need to exceed customer and patient expectations from a young age.

Academic Career

Dr. Kennedy attended Clemson University where he completed a degree in biology and developed a love for Clemson football. Following Clemson, he obtained his dental education at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston. He graduated in 2007 at the very top of his class both clinically and academically. He was the recipient of several individual awards as a senior including: The Academy of General Dentistry Senior Student Award for top clinician in operative dentistry and the Waterpik Excellence in Prosthodontics Award for top clinician in prosthodontics (crowns, dentures, and partials).  Dr. Kennedy was invited by the MUSC faculty for induction into Omicron Kappa Upsilon (OKU), the most prestigious dental honor society. Limited to no more than 12% of the graduating class, membership in OKU is by invitation only and is based on ethical character, academic achievement, and potential for professional development.

Residency Experience

After graduation, Dr. Kennedy attended an optional, hospital-based General Practice Residency at Palmetto Health Richland hospital in Columbia. The residency provided additional training and experience in advanced procedures not normally taught in dental school, such as impacted wisdom teeth removal, intravenous (IV) conscious sedation, and dental implant placement. He also gained valuable experience treating and managing medically complex patients both in the outpatient and operating room clinical settings.

Professional Experience

Upon completion of his residency in 2008, Dr. Kennedy joined one of Greenville’s largest cosmetic dental practices where he practiced for six years. Then in the spring of 2015, he decided to found Bella Vista Family Dental, a practice centered on a belief in quality, patient-focused dentistry.

Dr. Kennedy enjoys performing a wide range of dental services including cosmetic, implant, and surgical dentistry. He is a member of the American Dental Association (ADA), the American Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), and the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI). Dr. Kennedy also regularly volunteers at the Greenville Free Dental Clinic.

Dr. Kennedy realizes that many people fear going to the dentist and put off going until they have a “problem,” at which time fixing the issue is often very challenging. Sedation dentistry can allow patients to get their dental needs addressed with little or no recollection of being at the dentist. Dr. Kennedy is proficient and regularly performs both intravenous (IV) and oral conscious sedation.