Melissa Shotell

I entered the dental field after experiencing complex interdisciplinary treatment myself, which sparked my fascination with how dentists could help people. After dental school, I practiced as a general dentist for 4 years in an interdisciplinary practice before deciding to return to school to study orthodontics. My timing was fortunate, as this coincided with digital technology becoming readily available in dentistry. I was able to work with some of the early intraoral scanning and early 3D printing, discovering how we could truly incorporate these technologies into dentistry and orthodontics. I practice alongside my husband, who is a prosthodontist, and together we have always focused on complex interdisciplinary care. We have seen firsthand how technology has aided us in this work, and it has been a great journey watching how dentistry has evolved with the use of digital technology. About 10 years ago, I began teaching for the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, and I also teach remotely for the University of Alberta in Canada. I lecture at conferences both nationally and internationally, which has been a very rewarding experience. In 2021, my husband and I achieved a milestone by becoming the first husband and wife to appear on the cover of Dentistry Today. More recently, in April 2026, I became the first orthodontist to be featured solo on the cover of Dentistry Today. I am also on the cover of Dental Tribune International's Aligner Magazine this month.