Dr. Maria Méndez was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. After graduating from high school, she went on to attend college at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she graduated Cum Laude in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biological Anthropology. She was on the Dean’s List and received the Elizabeth Cary Agassiz Award for academic excellence. Dr. Méndez furthered her education at the University of Puerto Rico, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and received her dental degree in 1995.
Dr. Méndez then graduated from the University of Michigan, where she received her Master’s degree in the specialty of Orthodontics. She started her career working as a general dentist in Michigan. In 2001, Dr. Méndez began working as an orthodontist in Central Florida. In 2008, she started her own orthodontic practice in Orlando, All About Smiles – Orthodontist Orlando. Dr. Méndez is married to Dr. Arturo Ydrach, an oral surgeon at the Oral and Facial Surgery Center. Together they have two wonderful boys and enjoy spending time as a family.