Heads of Schools and Deans3804935

Professor Jake Ball

BDSc (CSU) DCD (Perio) (Melb) GCLTHE (CSU) MRACDS (Perio) FPFA FADI SFHEA

Professor Jake Ball is Dean of Rural Dentistry and Oral Health at Charles Sturt University and a specialist periodontist. He provides academic and strategic leadership across dentistry and oral health education, research and clinical services, with a focus on regional, rural and remote communities.

Jake grew up in Broken Hill, in far western New South Wales. This background shapes his commitment to creating opportunities for rural students and strengthening access to oral healthcare outside metropolitan centres. He wants students to see dentistry and oral health as careers within reach, and regional practice as a place to build a rewarding professional life.

A Charles Sturt graduate, Jake completed his Bachelor of Dental Science in 2013 before undertaking specialist training at the University of Melbourne, where he graduated with a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry in Periodontics in 2019. Jake holds a Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education and was awarded Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in 2023.

Before becoming Dean, Jake was Clinical Director of Charles Sturt’s Dental and Oral Health Clinics, leading a network of five regional clinics. His experience includes clinical governance, accreditation and planning for the future use of digital technologies in teaching and patient care. He has also strengthened pathways for new and recent graduates, combining supported clinical practice with opportunities in teaching and research to help them build careers in rural and regional communities.

Jake’s contribution to the profession has been recognised through fellowships with the International Team for Implantology, the International College of Dentists, the Academy of Dentistry International and the Pierre Fauchard Academy.

Jake brings a collaborative, people-centred approach to leadership. He values the experience and ideas of colleagues, students and community partners, and works to bring education, clinical practice and research closer together. Alongside his academic leadership, he maintains specialist clinical practice, keeping his work grounded in patient care and the everyday realities of dental practice.

Jake teaches periodontics, implant dentistry and dental clinical practice, with experience across undergraduate and postgraduate education. His teaching helps students connect scientific knowledge with clinical decisions and develop the judgement and confidence needed for safe, patient-centred care.

His educational interests include curriculum development, case-based learning, assessment and feedback, and supporting clinical educators. He aims to create a supportive learning environment where students can ask questions, reflect on their progress and build their clinical capabilities.

Jake’s research brings together periodontology, population health and data science. He uses large population datasets to examine patterns of periodontal disease, its relationship with general health, and the clinical, behavioural and social factors associated with different outcomes. His work also explores how the way disease is measured influences our understanding of risk.

He has a particular interest in rural workforce development and equity in access to dental education and oral healthcare. This includes how education, supported career pathways and community partnerships can help attract and retain dental and oral health professionals in rural and regional communities. His wider research interests include mental health and clinical decision-making in implant dentistry. His earlier work includes metabolomic studies of saliva.

Jake holds an honorary appointment at the University of Technology Sydney’s Data Science Institute, supporting interdisciplinary collaboration in oral health, population health and digital health.