Debbie Reed is a Reader (Associate Professor) at the University of Kent. An academic and Doctor of Education, her work as an educator and researcher, has been impactful, in respect to the practical application and transformational opportunities, it has, and will continue to, provide to the dental occupations. In 2020 Debbie was bestowed with the British Association of Dental Nurses’ Outstanding Contribution to Dental Nursing Professional Practice Award. In 2021 she was the inaugural recipient of the Royal College of Surgeons (UK) Janet Goodwin Award. In 2023 she was elected Fellow of College of General Dentistry (CGDent). Currently, Debbie is Chair of CGDent’s Dental Nurse and Orthodontic Therapy Faculty. She is a GDC registrant, and has the privilege of being an honorary President of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy. In 2023 Debbie led the Dental Nurse Retention Survey, in liaison with the BADN.