A Glasgow, KY native, Dr. Heather Wise was a member of the 1996 Kentucky All-Star Basketball Team and scored over 1,000 points in high school and college basketball. She finished her undergraduate degree and athletic eligibility at Campbellsville University before deciding to pursue a dental degree at the University of Kentucky. While completing her DMD, Dr. Wise and her husband celebrated the arrival of two children. After dental school, Dr. Wise was accepted into the pediatric dentistry residency program at UK where she had her third child.
After residency, Dr. Wise opened her own pediatric dental practice in Campbellsville, Ky., Wise Dentistry for Kids. On opening day, Dr. Wise’s six-month-old son was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Over the next two years, Dr. Wise juggled growing her new pediatric dental practice while managing her son’s chemo appointments and trips to Philadelphia for surgeries. Her son is now cancer-free and a thriving high schooler. Her oldest daughter is a senior at Ole Miss and plans to apply for dental school. Her second oldest will be a freshman playing basketball at Centre College and her fourth child is in middle school.
As the only pediatric dentist in Campbellsville and the surrounding towns for the past 17 years, Dr. Wise has played a vital role in the health and well-being of her community. She has served the healthcare needs of her patients who may have otherwise gone untreated. Dr. Wise built a strong, successful practice that’s positively impacting generations of local residents.
In 2019, Dr. Wise was among the group of orthodontists and pediatric dentists within Central Kentucky who chose to preserve doctor ownership by self-consolidating to create their own dental service organization and help form the first doctor-owned Group Practice of its kind in the country.
“PepperPointe has certainly allowed me to support my patients in a better way and be present in the community more,” said Dr. Wise. “Being a part of this partner group has allowed me to enjoy my life a bit more. It has allowed me to have more quality of life and be the parent that needs to be present or the supportive spouse that needs to be present.”
She is continuing her legacy by mentoring several associate doctors within her practice, providing exceptional care that will extend to future generations.
“I went out on my own right out of residency, borrowed a lot of money and built the building,” said Dr. Wise. “I don’t think we’re seeing that as much now. As an associate, I would love to have had the opportunity to go into a very healthy, busy practice and be mentored by someone with experience. With PepperPointe, you have stability, security, and mentorship. Associateships can look however that individual needs, you can be very involved or just show up, do your job, and go home. You can have whatever suits your needs and your personality.”
The Wise family is very active in their church and deeply rooted in their community, and Kentucky in general — Dr. Wise is a city council member, her husband serves as a state senator, and each of their four children is named after a county in the Commonwealth. In her free time, Dr. Wise enjoys cooking, traveling with her family, mentoring young people, and volunteering on a variety of local committees.