Robert Heist, DDS, was born and raised in a suburban town outside Dayton, Ohio, where he lived for about 26 years. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in botany from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, before graduating from The Ohio State University College of Dentistry. He holds dental licenses in Ohio, Oklahoma and Oregon.

His dental experience includes rotations with the U.S. Navy Dental Corps, the U.S. Air Force Medical Service Dental Corps and VA Dentistry. Dr. Heist has practiced at multiple federally qualified health centers, worked in private practice and locum tenens assignments.

His special practice interests include endodontics, pulp pathology, dentin regeneration, and the dental-medical interface, with emphasis on prevention of medical conditions related to the oral microbiome.

After retiring from the Air Force, Dr. Heist moved to Roseburg for a position with the VA Roseburg Health Care System. He met his wife in Roseburg, and the couple lived in the area off and on until 2016.

Dr. Heist is excited to be back in Roseburg, where he and his wife’s story began, and back at Aviva Health. The couple has two Goldendoodles, and outside of dentistry, Dr. Heist enjoys being outdoors, doing yard work, building, renovating or flipping homes, as well as hunting and fishing.