Our Team

Dr William Wang BDSc (Hons)(Queensland, Australia)

Dr William Wang grew up locally in Brisbane. After a year of internship in Townsville and Mackay, he graduated in 2005 with Honours from the School of Dentistry at the University of Queensland. Will then continued working in the public sector in the Gold Coast Health District until coming back to practice in Brisbane. He became a dentist at Highgate Hill Dental Centre in July 2008. He aims to make seeing the dentist a positive, happy experience for the whole family, and enjoys making it a fun visit for children. Will has a particular interest in preventative and restorative dentistry; and spends a lot of time explaining concepts to empower patients with the ability to maintain their own dental health between maintenance visits.

Will is also fluent in Mandarin and has an understanding of Cantonese.

He enjoys running, live music and volunteers some of his time participating in dental programs for treating refugees and the homeless.

Dr Kathleen Ling BDS (Adelaide, Australia)

Dr Kathleen Ling graduated from the University of Adelaide, School of Dentistry in 2007. After graduating she worked at the Adelaide Dental Hospital and went into private practice in Adelaide. Kathleen joined us at Highgate Hill Dental Clinic when she moved to Brisbane in February 2011. Her treatment style is friendly and gentle and aims to make every visit to the dentist as stress free as possible.

She has a particular interest in aesthetic, restorative and preventative dentistry as well as treating children.

Other than English, Kathleen is also fluent in Mandarin, Malay language and Fuchow dialect.

Kathleen is an accomplished chef and enjoys meeting with her friends and cooking beautiful meals for them.

Dr Shirley Kwok BDSc (Queensland, Australia)

Dr Shirley Kwok graduated from the University of Queensland, School of Dentistry in 2010. In August 2015, Shirley joined Highgate Hill Dental Centre. She has experience in both private practice and in the public sector with Queensland Health, as well as clinical supervision and teaching of dental students from the University of Queensland, Griffith University and James Cook University. She is also an active member of the Australian Dental Association. 

Shirley enjoys all areas of general dentistry and has a particular interest in surgical dentistry. She strives to make dental experiences gentle and comfortable, and values motivating and educating patients on preventative oral health.

Other than English, Shirley is also fluent in Cantonese and has an understanding of Mandarin.

In her spare time Shirley has a passion for cooking and being creative in the kitchen, playing badminton, and spending time with family and friends – especially over boardgames!

Dr Aoibheann O’Brien BDS (Belfast, UK)

Dr Aoibheann O’Brien graduated from Queen’s University, Belfast in 2006. She worked in private practice for 5 years in Northern Ireland. Aoibheann completed her exams for her Diploma of the Joint Dental Faculties at The Royal College of Surgeons of England, before moving to Australia in 2011. She joined Highgate Hill Dental Centre in July 2011.

Aoibheann is very good with anxious patients with her friendly treatment style, and has a particular interest in aesthetic and preventative dentistry.

Aoibheann enjoys dancing and walking, or you will find her reading books on her eReader.

Dr Vanessa Romer BDS (El Salvador, Central America)

Dr Vanessa Romer graduated from the Evangelical University, School of Dentistry in 2004. After graduating she worked at one the largest regional hospitals in El Salvador, while also working in private practice. Vanessa moved to Australia and completed a Diploma of Dental Technology at
Southbank Institute of TAFE in 2010. She then completed the validation process for her Dental qualifications with the Australian Dental Council as a Dentist. She Joined Highgate Hill Dental Centre as a dentist in July 2020.

Vanessa’s happy and positive personality makes it easier for anxious patients to feel at ease before and during treatment. She enjoys all areas of dentistry, and has a particular interest in kids, oral surgery and preventive dentistry. Other than English, Vanessa is also fluent in Spanish.

Outside of dentistry Vanessa is a busy mum to a girl and a boy. She enjoys going to the gym, traveling with her family and having a coffee and a chat with friends.

Dr Janak Patel BChD (Leeds, UK)

Dr Janak Patel graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from the University of Leeds, UK. His experience in the UK ranged from both working in the NHS and private practice prior to moving to Australia.

Janak likes to focus on being a gentle, caring dentist, who enjoys taking his time getting to know his patients and discovering their needs. He aims for patients to feel comfortable during their visits and leave with a smile that gives them confidence. He special interests include helping anxious patients overcome their fears, especially those that might be worried about visiting for the first time in a while, as well as restorative buildup work to re-establish aesthetics. Janak is passionate about dentistry and continually undertaking new courses to expand his skill set and update his knowledge. He also values giving back to the community and provides voluntary dental care for vulnerable adults in his free time.

Outside of dentistry, Janak likes to keep active with hiking, cycling and surfing. He is also a bit of a foodie and partial to a good pizza.

Dr Joyce Wong BDSc (Queensland, Australia)

Dr Joyce Wong graduated from the University of Queensland in 2019. Since then she has been working in a private practice on the Sunshine Coast and recently moved back to Brisbane. She is passionate about helping others foster positive attitudes towards dentistry and has a bright and bubbly chairside manner. She is an avid believer of minimally invasive and preventive dentistry to promote oral health within our community. As a devoted learner, she has completed the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons Primaries Examination and is currently pursuing further education at the University of Queensland. 

Joyce lived in Malaysia and New Zealand before settling in the Sunshine State so she is fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, experimenting new recipes and travelling.

Dr Alun Cheng BDSc (Queensland, Australia)

Dr Alun Cheng is a graduate from University of Queensland. He has experience working both in Australia and Taiwan as a dentist.

He has a special interest in gum disease treatment and prevention which propelled him to continuing education. He has completed a masters degree on periodontal research from Sydney and he is currently studying to become a periodontist (gum disease specialist). 

In his spare time, he enjoys going to the gym, exploring new restaurants and reading up on dental journal articles.

Dr Charles William (Bill) Morris BDSc (Hons)(Queensland, Australia) Retired

Dr Bill Morris grew up in the South Brisbane area and graduated from the University of Queensland in 1979, with Honours. He then spent four and half years practising in the United Kingdom, before returning to Australia. Bill took over the dental practice in Highgate Hill from Dr Leo Stellmach when he retired in July 1984, servicing generations of families ever since. His friendly nature has allowed him to build a large patient base of families, including children, and now children of those same children.

Bill has a particular interest in orthodontics and treats simple orthodontic cases at Highgate Hill Dental Centre.

He is an avid surfer, a traveller and enjoys being a wonderful grandfather to his grandchildren.

Dr David Ewen BDS (Otago, New Zealand) Retired

Dr David Ewen graduated in 1977 from the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. David went on to working in practices in New Zealand, NSW and South Africa, before returning to Autralia and joining Highgate Hill Dental Centre in 1987. David enjoys forming life long relationships with his patients, and has many multi-generational families among his patient base.

He enjoys all aspects of dentistry and has a particular interest in endodontics (Root Canal Therapy).

On his time off, David enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, gardening and golf. He is also a keen traveller and has completed many treks all around the world.