Dr Ken Heath, B.D.S. (Adel) Grad.Dip.Clin.Dent.
Dentist
Ken was brought to the Gawler region when his wife (Michelle) won a full time position at a developing school - Trinity College, where they have raised and schooled three children.
Ken joined the Gawler Dental Clinic (GDC) in 1991 in a part time capacity, which grew to full time when he left the Dental Hospital at the end of 1992. He became a partner in the business with Dr John McKinnon several years later.
He has always had a strong interest in continuing education and is always looking to enhance his clinical skills. This has meant he has had extra training in :
1) Advanced surgical implant techniques - placing his own implants since 2003, and is a member of the Australian Implant Society.
2) Rotary root canal instrumentation - making the procedure faster, comfortable & more reliable.
3) Aesthetic dentistry - he loves creating his own work & improving smiles
4) Soft tissue laser therapy
5) CEREC CAD/CAM dentistry - making his own porcelain crowns, many times “same-day" and he purchased the very first Omnicam and Primescan systems in South Australia.
6) Extensive dental trauma management
7) In-House custom night guard design and 3D printing of night guards, models and implant drill guides : cutting edge technology in Gawler!
He loves the day to day dental work, but gets excited by the more complicated dental challenges that come into the GDC every week.
He has a patient manner that is not afraid to look after the very nervous patient or child and has enjoyed watching many of his much loved families of patients grow up and have families of their own.
Ken has been a guest speaker at a number a training days and evening study clubs including: the Australian Implant Society, Restoration of the endodontically treated tooth with an emphasis on 3D technology, New graduate nights on implant experiences, 3D Cerec/Crown technology integration and 3D Printing experiences to name a few.
All of Ken’s implant patients are planned in 3D with the patient, which allows for gold standard imaging and full discussions on the variety of options available, so that they know what/when is going on, treatment outcomes and cost$ before they make the final decision to do/not do any proposed treatment.
In recent years Ken has spent significant time providing volunteer dental services and training to the people of Vanuatu - particularly within Port Vila, and locally has served on the Trinity College Board as the Chair from 2014-2024.
Ken has experienced the hiking the Larapinta Trail twice (240km) both solo and with a friend, Overland Track in Tasmania & the KOKODA track in 2008. His wife “drags” him on overseas holidays - but most of all he loves camping in the Australian Outback … and is passionate about capturing their beauty on his Canon camera for anyone to see.
Some of his adventures are on YouTube under his pseudonym: “Fangdoc Films”