Meet the Team

Robert Rust Jr., DMD
Dr. Robert “Bob” Rust completed his Bachelor of Science degree in biology in 1976 at the University of Oregon. He then attended the University of Oregon Dental School, from which he graduated in 1978. He frequently completed continuing education courses with Dental Society and Study Club Exploring Excellence in order to stay at the forefront of the dental field. He has practiced in Eugene for over 40 years.Dr. Rust is a member of the American Dental Association®, and in 2018, he became a life member of the Lane County Dental Society. He is committed to helping his patients maintain their oral function and smile for life.

Dr. Rust has four children and two grandchildren. He enjoys taking care of his yard and home and watching the Ducks play.

Rudy — Office ManagerRudy joined our team in March 2020 as a dental assistant and administrator, moving from Orange County, California, to Eugene, Oregon. With over 12 years of experience in dentistry, he is eager to please any and all patients with his vast knowledge from both a clinical and business standpoint.

When he is not working, he is busy raising his daughter, Athena, with his girlfriend, Angel, as well as playing and recording music. He is also devoted to his two fur children, Lucy the dog and Penelope the cat.

Shannon — Administrative AssistantShannon became a part of our team in April 2023. She has over 20 years of dental experience, and she has a positive and helpful work ethic. She is always willing to go the extra mile in maintaining good patient care. Shannon loves the welcoming environment at our practice and how everyone works together to achieve the best service and care for the patients.

Shannon has two daughters, Kennedy and Brooke. When she is not at the office, Shannon enjoys going to church, concerts, and comedy shows and spending time with her family.

Gail — Registered Dental HygienistGail is originally from northern Illinois. She began her career in dentistry as a dental assistant in 1981 and has been a registered dental hygienist since 1993. She graduated magna cum laude from the West Los Angeles Dental Hygiene program in 1993 and has worked with the UCLA Dental School, the VA Hospital and Cedars-Sinai Hospital.

Gail has a son who has Type I diabetes. Because of that she has studied the disease and has learned quite a bit about the systemic links between oral and general health. At the office she meets each patient where they are and works with them to achieve good oral health. She appreciates the fact that we are a small family practice that is focused on treating people as individuals.

Along with her son, Gail and her husband have two daughters and they moved to Oregon in 2015. When not caring for her patients, Gail enjoys reading, baking, hiking and exploring Oregon.

Susan — Registered Dental Hygienist Susan graduated with her associate degree in dental hygiene with honors from LCC. She joined our team in 2013. Susan really enjoys her work and helping her coworkers give each of our patients the best possible experience as they improve their oral health.

Susan loves learning new things and helping others. She enjoys humor, comedy movies and Minions.

Shelley — Dental Assistant Shelley completed the dental assisting program at LCC in 1990 and has been with our team for over ten years. She enjoys that our team feels like a family, and she loves taking care of our patients when they come to our office.

Shelley’s parents reside in Halfway, a small town on the Snake River. She loves animals, the outdoors and Harley Davidson motorcycles.