Introducing Our Smile Team

Providing quality orthodontic and dental care to patients in Bellflower and the surrounding area.

Communication is the cornerstone to effective patient care. Listening to the needs and concerns of patients and helping them understand their dental health and treatment options is paramount to effective patient-centric dental care. This personal approach is evident in everything they do. From making an appointment, filling out paperwork, conducting an examination, and providing dental treatments, the staff at The Brace Place & Kids Dentistry take the time to connect with patients and give them the thoughtful attention they deserve.

Cristina Cordova
Office Manager

Cristina Cordova is a highly experienced and caring healthcare professional who began her career as a registered dental assistant. She has over 15 years of corporate management experience and more than 20 years helping pediatric and orthodontics patients. This makes her a fantastic addition to our Brace Place Team!

Cristina’s favorite part of her job is being able to form relationships with our patients. She looks forward to making our patients and their families experience in our office an amazing one! Cristina is a die-hard foodie who loves food and lives to travel. Her goal is to travel to every continent. She loves to laugh, socialize and spend time with family and friends
Ana Garcia
Account Manager & Biller

Ana has been a part of The Brace Place team since 2016! She finds working in the dental field so rewarding. She finds pleasure in seeing the satisfied looks on patients’ faces when they’ve navigated the sometimes confusing world of insurance/financing. Her job is to calm patients’ fears, answer any questions they may have and help make their treatment needs a reality in the most stress-free way possible.

When she is not at work greeting all of the wonderful patients with a warm smile, you can catch her enjoying a good book, knitting or spending time with family.
Maria Gutierrez
Clinic Supervisor

Maria Gutierrez has enjoyed working in the orthodontic field since 2000. She loves helping the parents and children who come to the Brace Place & Kids Dentistry and takes time to get to know each and every one. One of her biggest rewards is when she sees the smile on a patient’s face after they finish treatment. She loves to watch the positive transformation taking place in a patient’s smile.
Georgina Torres (GiGi)
Patient Scheduling Coordinator

Gigi is our patient scheduling coordinator. She loves being the first smiling face patients see when they walk through the doors. She helps schedule appointments and coordinate multitude of front office protocols at the office. Gigi's compassion and desire to help her a perfect fit when it comes to working around patient's busy schedules. She truly enjoys giving great hospitality to our patients and parents. She is married with two daughters. She enjoys cooking and spending time with her family and friends.
Yeimi Gracino
Clinic Assistant

Yeimi was born in Paramount and raised in Compton, California. She graduated from Cerritos College and looks forward to continuing her education in the future. She enjoys spending time with her family and working with kids. Since a young age, Yeimi grew up watching all of the Disney movies and has developed an everlasting passion for Disneyland.

This sense of youth, humor, and creativity translates over to the dental office where she is very welcoming and comforting towards patients. Yeimi’s delicacy with others, passion for healthcare, and ability to connect with patients make her a great asset to the Smile Team.
Blanca Rios
Clinic Assistant

Blanca graduated top of her class from Bryman College in 2006 and was thrilled at the opportunity to become part of Dr. Audry Yoon’s team upon graduation. Blanca’s experience in general dentistry, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry along with her strong work ethic and positive attitude make her a great asset to Dr. Audrey Yoon’s team.

Her caring approach and excellent hand skills help put patients at ease at every appointment. Blanca enjoys educating patients of their dental needs and always strives to provide excellent service. She takes pride in proving the upmost care of every patient and goes the extra mile to ensure patients feel comfortable and taken care of after leaving The Brace Place. The most rewarding part of her job is when she sees a patient walk out with a confident smile.

Blanca is a Los Angeles native, having been born and raised in the City of Angels. On her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and visiting new places.
Annette Portillo
Clinic Assistant

Annette is one of our patient scheduling coordinators. She is the first person you will speak to when you call our office! She assists patients with scheduling their appointments and answers any questions they may have. Her favorite part of the job is getting to know all our patients. Her brilliant smile is sure to brighten your day!

Annette was born in Montebello and loves spending time with her family. In her free time she enjoys playing volleyball and going to her favorite place, the beach!
Valarie Vargas
Dental Assistant

Valarie is our youngest Dental Assistant! She enjoys comforting our patients and watching them leave our office with a confident smile. Being able to see the progress of our patients and the satisfaction it brings them reminds her of why she is in this field.

Valarie works diligently towards her future aspirations and is continuing her advanced education. Her strong work ethic allows her to balance both school and work. Nevertheless, she makes sure to save quality time to hang out with her friends and go on fun trips. She enjoys going to the gym and is continuously finding ways to improve both personally and professionally.
Stacy Mendez
Dental Assistant

Stacy joined our team a year ago as a dental assistant. Her patience and selflessness has aided our team greatly! She says the most rewarding part of her job is the satisfaction she gets in helping patients realize their dream of a beautiful, healthy smile and a renewed sense of confidence.

Stacy lives a healthy lifestyle that inspires many. You can find her always eating healthy and exercising. If she’s not at work or at the gym, she’s probably traveling around the world. Her favorite place to visit is Hawaii!
Joscelyn Calvillo
Dental Assistant

Joscelyn grew up in Bell Gardens and graduated from Cerritos College. She is working to further her education and hopes to obtain two more licenses! As a Dental Assistant, Joscelyn says patient experience is her top priority. Her goal is to make all of our patients feel comfortable and at ease. The most rewarding part of her job is helping patients achieve their dental health goals. Her efficiency and ability to think quickly on her feet greatly helps our team.

When Joscelyn is not at work, she enjoys exploring new places, learning new things, cooking and discovering new baking recipes. Her motivation to achieve new heights is surely inspirational!
Martina Hernandez
Dental Assistant

Martina began her dental journey when her husband was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. She joined the Red Cross dental program as an intern and had the opportunity to rotate through all the dental specialties. She was especially drawn to the precision and complex cases of the orthodontics clinic and stayed in the field since. When Martina returned to the States, she obtained her RDA and OA and has worked as an Orthodontic and Pediatric Dental Assistant for the last 7+ years.

Martina’s dedication to the dental field is truly impeccable and can be seen with every patient she works on. Her previous experience working with cleft palate patients has proven that her expertise is undoubtedly irreplaceable. She especially enjoys working on MARPE cases and appreciates being a part of such an amazing team!