Meet Your Orthodontic Team – Plano, TX

Mariah, Smile Ambassador

Mariah brings several years of marketing experience to our practice! She attended McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas, where she spent approximately five years managing the social content for multiple small businesses in the fashion industry. She later oversaw the wholesale marketing for a well-known clothing company based in Dallas, Texas. She greatly enjoys the opportunity to meet new people in her line of work and loves that she is able to express her creativity in her dream field.

Mariah dedicates most of her free time to her three siblings and five amazing nephews who keep everyone on their toes. You'll often find her cooking, reading, playing softball recreationally, or spending time with her rambunctious chocolate lab, Maverick.

America, Director of Operations

America has worked in the dental field for over fifteen years! She studied at Brookhaven Community College where she gained certifications in both CPR and Dental Assisting. She is also certified in coronal polishing! She loves helping turn a patient's dream smile into a reality.

When she's not at work, America loves spending quality time with her family and her two sweet pups. Her hobbies include painting and other crafts, decorating her home, trying new foods, attending concerts, and traveling. She hopes to one day visit Buckingham Palace in London!

Ana, Orthodontic Assistant

Ana is from Wylie, Texas, and greatly enjoys learning new things in the dental field each day. She is a passionate registered dental assistant who strives to deliver the upmost quality care to each patient she has the privilege of seeing. She also loves working with such an amazing team while helping patients improve or maintain their pearly whites!

When she isn't working, you'll likely find her baking or spending time with her husband and family. Together they enjoy listening to music and watching movies. Ana was a camp counselor for many summers before she joined us, and she expresses a lot of that same enthusiasm through her work.

Brenda, Lead Orthodontic Assistant

Brenda is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and has been part of the dental field for several years and counting. Her experience in the dental field has greatly enlightened her practice as a registered dental assistant. She greatly values the relationships she has built with her patients as she has always had a true passion and heart for helping people!

Outside of work, Brenda spends much of her time with her sweet daughter, and her hobbies include shopping for home decor, decorating for each holiday season, and cuddling with her mini!

Alex, Orthodontic Assistant

Alex is originally from Dallas, Texas, and actually started her dental career with our team! She is a registered dental assistant who spends a lot of her time in the office manning our in-house lab where most of the magic happens! That's right. She makes your retainers! She takes great pride in seeing the joy and excitement on our patients' faces as we transform their smiles.

Alex is the biggest animal lover! She was a snake handler at an exotic animal rescue just before joining us, and her family has quite a population of pets themselves! They have a total of five dogs and two cats. Now that's amazing! Alex also enjoys barrel racing or watching rodeos for fun. Outside of work, you will likely find her dancing the night away with her friends and fiance!

Elizabeth, Orthodontic Assistant

Prior to joining our team, Elizabeth assisted children in behavioral therapy, and she often uses the same compassionate approach with each of our patients. This background combined with her own personal experience with braces allows her to relate and connect with each patient. She has found that it greatly helps them feel more comfortable on their journey to a new smile!

Elizabeth has a fairly large family consisting of her mom, dad, and three younger siblings. When she isn't working or spending time with family she loves going to the gym, skateboarding, or swimming. She's also lived in four countries, five states, and at eighteen different addresses. Now THAT'S impressive!

Breanna, Patient & Scheduling Coordinator

Breanna is the Office and Financial Coordinator here at Willow Bend Orthodontics. She attended the University of North Texas where she received her Bachelor of Arts. She is a registered dental assistant, is CPR certified, and one of our amazing treatment coordinators! Her role allows her to fulfill her passion helping patients not only restore their smile, but also their self-esteem and confidence.

Of course, Breanna enjoys her time away from the office as well. She particularly likes spending it with her dog, Moochi, whom she rescued when he was two months old. She is family oriented, and her hobbies include shopping, shirt-making, and traveling. In fact, one of her goals is to travel to all 50 states!

Trina, Treatment Coordinator

Trina has worked persistently in the dental field for three decades and counting! She began her dental career studying at Amarillo College before heading out to gain as much on-the-job training as possible. You'll often find her in the office collecting new patient information to assist the dentist in forming cohesive treatment plans. One of her favorite things about her job is meeting and connecting with new patients each day!

Outside of work, Trina is a loving dog mom to her sweet pup, Maisy, and a foster mom for Take Me Home Rescue. She also enjoys reading books in her spare time or hanging out at the beach!

Marisa, Orthodontic Assistant

Marisa grew up in McKinney, Texas, and attended Collin Community College where she was introduced to the dental assisting career path. She is now a Registered Dental Assistant and CPR certified. Marisa takes pride in helping each patient overcome any fears or anxiety they might have going into treatment. She particularly enjoys listening to some of our patients' funny stories and building connections with each one.

When she is not working, one might say she is the Volleyball Queen! Her love for the sport led her to join a recreational team who gathers multiple times a week to play! She just recently adopted an adorable cat named Nala whom she loves dearly. She is also quite the adventurer as she aspires to see Switzerland one day!

Desireé, Orthodontic Assistant

DeSiree loves interacting with children and helping them feel comfortable during their visits. She studied at Texas Tech University where she helped a local dentist open a dental practice in Lubbock with the help of her peers. She has also participated in two summer dental programs at A&M College of Dentistry and UT San Antonio College of Dentistry - later achieving her bachelor's in biology and becoming a registered dental assistant. If you couldn't tell she aspires to become a dentist one day!

Desiree loves spending time with her family and friends when she isn't at the office. She also enjoys going to the gym, shopping, and getting a drink from Starbucks!

Emily, Scheduling & Treatment Coordinator

Emily studied at Central Michigan University before becoming Office Manager for a general dental practice. She later gained an interest in the orthodontic field and has not looked back since! She is a treatment coordinator with certifications in both CPR and dental assisting. Her favorite part of her job is working with an amazing and reliable team.

When she isn't at the office, Emily is likely spending time with her parents, sister, or her two cats- Sunny and Smudge! She enjoys nature, trying new foods, listening to music, and dancing the night away!

Tori, Orthodontic Assistant

Tori has worked in the dental field for almost a decade and has loved every minute of it! Originally from McKinney, TX, she studied at Fortis College-Norfolk where she earned her certifications in dental assisting, CPR, infection control, and radiology. Her favorite part of her job is seeing the beautiful results of each patient's smile post-treatment!

Tori often spends time with her extended family and loved ones. She enjoys going on cruises, sunbathing, visiting local food events, and hanging out with her nieces and nephews. Tori is also a Navy Veteran. There, she served five years and got the opportunity to travel to various countries!

Adara, Orthodontic Assistant

Adara was born in Denver, Colorado, but grew up in Jefferson City, Missouri. She later moved to the great state of Texas where she has been part of the dental field for nearly a decade. She attended Paul Quinn College before studying at Concorde Career College to earn her certification as an orthodontic assistant. Other than utilizing her skills and expertise to help patients with their treatments, she enjoys having the profound opportunity to learn something new every day!

Adara has one son, and they love spending time with her sister and niece. Her hobbies consist of cooking, singing, trying new foods, and watching criminal investigation shows!

Meka, Orthodontic Assistant

Meka is originally from New Orleans and has been in the field of dentistry for over half a decade! She studied at Concorde to earn her RDA and nitrous oxide certifications. She started in pediatrics where she worked for five years before joining our team. She not only enjoys helping patients receive the smile of their dreams but also loves working alongside her friendly and compassionate team members.

Meka is a proud mother of two. If she isn't hanging out with her family and loved ones you might find her attending a sporting event on the weekends!

Gabbi, Scheduling & Treatment Coordinator

As a proud native of Garland, Texas, Gabbi studied at Western Governor's University to earn her undergraduate's degree. Prior to joining the dental field, she assisted children with special needs within Plano ISO. She later became trained and certified for the education of medically fragile children in North Texas and had the opportunity to learn about the world of anatomic laboratories across the nation. She brings a lot of her prior expertise to her career today! She enjoys interacting with our wonderful patients while working alongside the dentists to coordinate healthy and happy smiles! Outside of the office, Gabbi loves spending time with her family and loved ones. She also likes volunteering with local projects close to her heart such as Threaded, Minnie's Food Pantry, and Walk to End Alzheimer's.