Dr Allen has an extensive background in dentistry, marked by significant achievements and a commitment to high-quality care. As an undergraduate, she was the first student in Queensland—and one of only five in Australia—to receive a research grant from the Australian Dental Research and Education Trust (now the Australian Dental Research Foundation). Her research was published in the Australian Dental Journal in 1981. After graduating, she gained experience working in Cairns, Longreach, Queensland, serving remote areas such as Muttaburra, Jundah, and Birdsville. She later worked in private practice in Gladstone, Queensland, before relocating to Tweed Heads with her husband, Dr. David Allen, in October 1985.

She began her private practice in December 1985.

Dr. Allen is dedicated to staying current in her field, evidenced by her adoption of advanced equipment like the Zeiss operating microscope. With over 43 years of experience, she offers general dentistry services with particular expertise in treating gum disease, cosmetic dentistry, and root canal treatments. She has been a member of the Australian Dental Association since her student days and an active participant in the Gold Coast Sub-Branch since 1985.

Outside of dentistry, Dr. Allen has raised three sons with her husband in the Tweed area, where they have lived for 28 years. She enjoys family time, cooking, classical music, playing the digital pipe organ, reading, and writing poetry, and is an avid snow skier. She is involved in her community as a pipe organist at churches on the Gold Coast and Brisbane, and since 2010, she has served on the Management Committee of the Somerset College Foundation. Dr. Allen has been the sole sponsor along with the Somerset College, of the Somerset National Poetry Prize since 2014. Her practice emphasizes excellence, evidence-based care, and a gentle approach, serving families in the Banora Point, Tweed Heads South, Coolangatta areas and beyond.