Dr. Marianella Sierraalta received her D.D.S. degree in July 1993 from the Universidad Central de Venezuela, School of Dentistry in Caracas, Venezuela. After graduation she worked as an associate in a dental office in Caracas, Venezuela for two years. In 1998 she received her Master of Science degree from the University of Michigan and joined the faculty of the Department of Biological and Material Sciences Division of Prosthodontics. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics. Presently, Dr. Sierraalta teaches in the Comprehensive Care clinics and in the Graduate Prosthodontic clinic. She is also the Prosthodontic Discipline Coordinator for the department. Dr. Sierraalta's major research interest focuses on the use of all-ceramic restorations to restore natural teeth and dental implants. She has also studied the effects of abutment preparation on the preload of the implant-abutment interface.