William Hunter, DDS, MS, FICD
Co-Founder
Dr. William A. Hunter is a pediatric dentist from Fargo, North Dakota, who has devoted his career to caring for children and serving others. He believes every child deserves a healthy smile and that good oral health begins with prevention, education, and compassion.
His commitment to Kenya began in 2000 with efforts to “Create Healthy Smiles in Kenya.” He was a founding member of the Kenya Oral Health Initiative (KOHI), which provides dental care, education, and prevention programs, with a special focus on children and underserved communities.
Over the years, Dr. Hunter’s vision for KOHI has grown beyond providing dental treatment. He hopes to build sustainable programs that educate communities, strengthen local care, and help prevent dental disease for generations.
Dr. Hunter earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Northwestern University. After serving two years in the United States Navy, he completed his master's degree and specialty training in pediatric dentistry at the University of Nebraska. He later established Pediatric Dentistry, Ltd., the first pediatric dental specialty practice in North Dakota.
Throughout his career, Dr. Hunter has combined dentistry with leadership and service. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the International College of Dentists and a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. He has served in leadership roles with the North Dakota Board of Dental Examiners, the North Dakota Southeast District Dental Society, and the International College of Dentists–USA Section Foundation.
His professional service has been recognized with the Outstanding ICD Leadership Award and the North Dakota Dental Association Outstanding Achievement Award.
For Dr. Hunter, however, his greatest rewards have come from serving others and inspiring others to serve. His wife, Carolyn, and many family members, including six grandchildren, have traveled with him to Kenya as mission volunteers.These experiences have strengthened his belief that service is a value that can be modeled, shared, and passed from one generation to the next.
Dr. Hunter hopes KOHI will become more than a dental mission. He envisions an organization that educates communities, empowers local caregivers, develops prevention programs, and inspires students and dental professionals to become servant leaders. His greatest hope is that every child touched by KOHI receives more than dental care. He hopes they experience care, dignity, hope, and the opportunity for a healthier future.