Dr. Alina Pantilie

There wasn’t a single, sudden moment that led me to make this decision; it all came about gradually. Ever since I was a child, I’ve wanted to do something that brings joy to those around me, and it gave me great satisfaction to see the people around me happy. I could say that this is what led me to choose a career in dentistry, as it is here that I can make people happy not only in their hearts, but also physically and tangibly, through a beautiful smile, sometimes achieved through just small adjustments.

I’m glad you asked this question, because sometimes patients don’t understand how complex this is. To plan a treatment, a comprehensive assessment of the case is essential. This process involves an initial consultation, analysis of X-rays and facial and occlusal data, taking intraoral and extraoral photographs, digital smile analysis and treatment simulation. Once the treatment plan has been finalised and verified in the practice, we can proceed with the actual implementation of the treatment.

The most challenging cases are those in which the patient has recently been treated elsewhere and comes to us with problems closing their mouth, pain in the temporomandibular joint, and tears in the articular disc. We propose comprehensive rehabilitation to rectify the mistakes made and to ensure these errors are not repeated in future work, yet the patient is already sceptical, tired of dental treatment and wants, as if by magic, for everything to be resolved in a very short space of time.

In my practice, I use everything currently available on the market in the field of dentistry. We have all the equipment needed to achieve our goals, from the intraoral scanner – without which I could not practise dentistry – Modjaw – the latest technology for real-time dynamic scanning of the dento-maxillary system – to radiography for X-rays and the CT scanner used whenever necessary, the digital software for simulating cases and smiles, and much more.

Yes, I remember very clearly my first appointment with a lady who arrived in tears; she wouldn’t even let me touch her teeth at the first appointment – they were very sensitive, and she was very frightened. She gradually plucked up the courage and gained confidence, and at the end of the treatment she cried again, but this time with happiness.

What fills me with the most joy is the moment when I finish a case and the patient is simply amazed by their new look! This gives me the drive and motivation to carry on.

To maintain a balance between the two, it is very important to set priorities right from the start and also to ensure that they do not overlap. When I arrive at the practice, I try to get organised, plan my work and focus on that day’s therapy sessions, leaving any ‘problems’ from home to one side. I apply the same principle in reverse too, even if I don’t always manage it, because ideas and solutions to cases are constantly popping into my head. But… when you do something for pleasure and with passion, it gives you energy, and that’s fine by me.

As I have very little free time and it slips away so quickly, I try whenever I can to spend it with my family and children, whether through activities we do together indoors or outdoors. We really enjoy going for walks, pottering about and travelling. I spend my personal free time reading or playing the piano; this helps me relax and re-energise.