In traditional dentistry, orthodontics has long been viewed primarily through a cosmetic lens: Straighten your smile. But a growing movement led by specialized practitioners is shifting the field’s focus toward airway health, cranial-facial growth and systemic functional wellness.
Leading this clinical movement is Dr. Cristina Garcia Caceres, an experienced orthodontist who runs Boutique Dental Dra. Cristina G.Cáceres in Madrid, Spain. Her dual-master’s background and award-winning airway research is helping establish a newer, high standard for how dental professionals evaluate breathing, jaw alignment and long-term facial development.
“It all started during my master’s thesis, where I studied changes in upper airway dimensions before and after upper jaw distalization treatments, using appliances like the Hilgers pendulum and Carrière® Motion,” Garcia Caceres said. “The primary motivation was to delve deeper into an aspect of orthodontics that deserves more research: How intra-skeletal movements relate to airway dimensions. These structures are especially relevant because they are involved in respiration and related to disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea.”
Using NemoCeph software to analyze lateral skull radiographs across 27 patients, her study revealed statistically significant volume increases in upper airway measurements after achieving Class I molar relationships. “What was most interesting about this work was studying an aspect that, although part of orthodontic analysis, still lacks many specific studies,” she notes.
Garcia Caceres holds degrees in both Orthodontics from Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio alongside European NEBEOP accreditation, and Cosmetic Dentistry from Universidad Europea de Madrid, meaning she represents a rare class of dentists bridging structural mechanics with high-end aesthetic restoration.
Her impact on the dental field gained international recognition at the VIII ALIGNEA International Aligner Congress in Ávila, Spain, where she was awarded First Prize for her poster presentation analyzing upper airway dimension changes following maxillary distalization treatment.
“I believe orthodontics goes far beyond simply aligning teeth and improving a smile,” Garcia Caceres said. “It is essential to consider the function and general health of the patient. That is why I consider it fundamental to continue researching how orthodontic treatments can influence the airway and advance toward a clinical practice that is increasingly comprehensive and based on scientific evidence.”
Her clinical approach spans early pediatric interventions and complex adult cases. In one notable case involving a 10-year-old patient with severe maxillary compression, she performed rapid maxillary expansion using a Hyrax disjunctor to correct a transverse discrepancy and allow an unerupted upper left central incisor to emerge.
“This case reflects the importance of dentofacial orthopedics, which allows us to intervene during growth and guide jaw development,” she explains. “Beyond the clinical result, what made this case special was helping a child who was starting to feel self-conscious about his smile. Seeing how improving his dental situation could also influence his confidence reminded me that orthodontics not only transforms smiles, but can also have a positive impact on self-esteem and quality of life.”
At her practice, in the Retiro district in Madrid, Garcia Caceres combines advanced technology like 3D cone-beam computed tomography, digital scans, and Digital Smile Design with ultra-thin, non-invasive veneers known as Carillas sin Tallado, allowing patients to enhance their smile without grinding down natural enamel structure. Through her active digital presence on Instagram, she shares real clinical cases and educational insights to connect with patients on a personal level.
Building her practice carried personal significance, as she modernized the clinic originally established by her father. “For me, it was a very personal challenge because I started from the clinic my father created, which is part of my family history,” Garcia Caceres said.
“I wanted to give it my own style, adapt it to a more modern way of working, and invest in new technologies and cosmetic dentistry, without losing the essence of a lifelong clinic where the patient feels heard, cared for, and trusted. Instagram has allowed me to show not just my work, but my way of understanding dentistry,” she said. “Behind every treatment, there is a person and a story, and that is what matters most to me.”
