A MODERN Approach to Teaching Today's Dental Assistants

Meg Benson is a seasoned expert in the allied health education sector, bringing a wealth of experience in program consulting, customer advocacy, project management, and cross-team collaboration. With a robust background in these areas, she has successfully led numerous initiatives aimed at enhancing educational tools for allied health educators.
Meg has been with Elsevier for over seven years, holding positions spanning from education sales to content strategy. In her current role as a Program Consultant, she works closely with educational institutions to develop and implement programs that meet the evolving needs of allied health educators. Her strategic insights and practical solutions support educators in adapting to the evolving educational landscape and meeting the needs of today's students.
Customer Advocacy is at the core of everything she does. Meg has been the voice of the customer, ensuring that their needs and feedback are at the forefront of product development and service improvement. This role has honed her ability to bridge the gap between users and developers, fostering a user-centric approach in all projects.
Currently, she is at the forefront of introducing Sherpath, an innovative educational tool designed to revolutionize the way allied health educators teach and engage with their students. Her passion for improving educational experiences and outcomes is evident in her commitment to this project.

DEBBIE S. ROBINSON, CDA, MS retired in 2020 from the University of North Carolina, where she was engaged in clinical research within the Department of Operative Dentistry, and later at the Gilling’s School of Global Public Health. Her educational background evolved from receiving an Associate degree in Dental Assisting from Broward Community College, a Bachelor’s degree in Health Administration from Florida Atlantic University, and a Master’s degree in Dental Auxiliary Teachers Education from the University of North Carolina.

Her clinical experience consisted of practicing as a clinical chairside assistant for 7 years in a pediatric/orthodontic dental practice in Florida, as well as in the dental research center and the special patient care clinic at the University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry.

With over 20 years of teaching dental assisting within the community college and university settings in Florida and North Carolina, she also served as Clinical Assistant Professor and then Director of the Dental Assisting Program and Dental Assisting Specialty Program at UNC School of Dentistry. She has presented continuing education for practicing dental assistants at local, state, and international meetings. During her tenure, she served as a member of the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) test construction committee and has authored and coauthored journal articles for The Dental Assistant. Additional endeavors include consulting with community colleges and proprietary schools on the development of new dental assisting programs across the Country.

JANET SELL, CDA, Ed.D. is the former Director of the Dental Assisting Program at Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield, Missouri. After 25 years, she retired from her full-time position in December of 2023. Before becoming an educator, she practiced for 15 years as a certified dental assistant. Her educational background includes an Associate of Applied Science in Occupational Education from Ozarks Technical Community College. Dr. Sell holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Communication from Drury University, and a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Lindenwood University.

Throughout her career as a certified dental assistant, she has created, directed, and participated in numerous educational events and seminars at the local, state, and national levels. She was active with the Dental Assisting National Board, as a site visitor/consultant for the Commission on Dental Accreditation, Missouri and Springfield Dental Assistants Association, and the Missouri Dental Assisting Educators. Dr. Sell currently serves as the Ambassador for the Dental Assisting Section with the American Dental Educators Association. She is a certified online instructor, an alumnus of the OTC Leadership program, and the inaugural OTC Chancellor’s Leadership Academy. Dr. Sell has received formal recognition of achievement for her work, including the Excellence in Education award. She is actively involved in the community, such as overseeing the Ozarks Technical Community College dental programs endowment scholarship program and providing volunteer services at charitable events.