Meet Dr. Stella

Philosophy of Care

Dr. Stella’s approach to orthodontics considers the relationship between growth and development, breathing, and jaw and palate development, and how these factors influence sleep and overall function. She is particularly focused on identifying signs of sleep-disordered breathing and recognizing underlying structural concerns, including narrow palates and insufficient orofacial development.

“My goal is to look beyond simply straightening teeth and instead understand the bigger picture of how the oral and facial structures function together,” says Dr. Stella. Through a preventive and conservative approach, she aims to address concerns early when appropriate, helping patients achieve healthier breathing, improved function, and a better overall quality of life.

This comprehensive approach considers:

• Bite alignment and function
• Airway and breathing health, including pediatric sleep-disordered breathing and adult sleep apnea
• Jaw and palate development, including palatal expansion where appropriate
• Long-term stability of results

By combining clinical precision with an artistic eye, she helps patients achieve natural, confident smiles that support both function and long-term health.

Her Path to Airway-Focused Care

Dr. Stella’s interest in airway-focused orthodontics began in dental school, where she worked in an airway-focused research lab studying palatal expansion in both children and adults. Seeing the potential for airway improvement through research, and in patients at the UCLA clinic, sparked a growing interest that continued through her residency, where she gained further experience with maxillary expansion and orthognathic surgical approaches to airway intervention alongside a multidisciplinary team of specialists.

“The more I learned about airway, sleep, and facial growth, the more I recognized how closely they are connected to orthodontics,” Dr. Stella explains. She began seeing patients whose concerns extended beyond tooth alignment, including mouth breathing, snoring, disrupted sleep, daytime fatigue, and signs of underdeveloped jaws and palates.

This shaped the way she practices today. Rather than simply correcting what she sees, Dr. Stella works to understand why a patient developed a particular bite or facial pattern, addressing the underlying causes early when possible through airway-focused orthodontic care.

Before Your Airway Consultation

Dr. Stella wants patients and parents to know that an airway consultation looks at the whole patient, not just the teeth. Evaluation may include facial and jaw development, the palate and bite, oral habits, the adenoids and tonsils, nasal structures and sinuses, tongue posture and function, breathing patterns, and sleep-related symptoms.

Depending on what the evaluation finds, orthodontic treatment may be part of the solution, or Dr. Stella may recommend working alongside other healthcare professionals, such as a pediatrician, sleep physician, ENT, or myofunctional therapist. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. The right treatment depends on the individual, their stage of development, and the underlying factors contributing to their symptoms.

One question Dr. Stella hears often from parents: is my child’s mouth breathing just a habit, or a sign that something more is going on? It’s a fair question, and one best answered with an evaluation rather than a guess, since both are common and only one needs treatment.