From a cabinet, to a national network: the path of Dr. Ionuț Leahu, the doctor who relied on innovation and multidisciplinary teams to transform dentistry in Romania: “I wanted to be easier for people to go to the dentist”

Dr. Ionuț Leahu is one of the most famous dentists in Romania. It started, in 2010, with a dental office rented in Popești-Leordeni, Ilfov, and over time, he built a national network of dental clinics. Today, this is part of the Regina Maria's health network, under the name of Queen Maria Dental Clinics, and contributes to raising standards in dental medicine in Romania, through innovation, multidisciplinary teams and extended access for patients.

First steps in medicine and discovery of vocation

The road to Dr. Ionuț Leahu's dentistry was not a planned one. In high school, he was passionate about biology, physics and chemistry and, being in the mathematical-computer profile, was preparing for admission to cybernetics. But a discussion with his mother and a visit to a dental office made him realize that dental medicine is the field that attracts him more.

“My mother had a friendly dentist I went to see what this job means and was the moment when I realized, I am more interested in the medical field than computer science, and the dentistry seemed like a tangible option.

The college years have been marked by a lot of work and perseverance. While specializing in dentistry, he has always sought opportunities to learn and practice, working in other fields to support financially. After finishing his studies, he managed to rent a cabinet in Popești-Leordeni, and from here began a brave entrepreneurial adventure.

“The biggest challenge was to start. My parents were not expecting a sum of money to start with, so I worked hard to build my own road. It was a difficult start, but I learned essential lessons about what it means to be an entrepreneur in the medical field,” he remembers.

In the beginning, he spent a lot of time to make maneuvers that seem quite simple today, such as filling (or plumba, as it is known in the people). “I had a passion that I took in this direction of the fillings until in the first years I specialized in the direct aesthetic area, respectively how to restore the teeth from the chair immediately and this specialization also brought me an opinion leader (Key Opinion Leader): I was taking courses for other dentists to learn how to learn how to learn how to learn how to learn how to work. Leahu.

Expansion and transformation into a successful network

After the first years of activity, it became clear that his vision exceeded a simple dental office. He quickly understood the importance of investments in technology and team, which led to the opening of a larger clinic in Bucharest – in the Floreasca neighborhood, followed by others throughout the country.

“We started in 2010 with the first cabinet in Popești-Leordeni, and until 2018 I opened the first clinic outside Bucharest, in Pitești, followed by the one in Timișoara. In 2020, with the Covid Pandemia, we were already present in six counties in Romania and we were in a completely new situation, who has been in the case of the patient, who has been in the case of the patient, who has given us the services, which has been in the case of us. integrated and efficient.

“I understand that patients need a complete experience, without roads between multiple locations. Therefore, we have invested in dental radiology and in multidisciplinary teams. In this way, patients can benefit from fast and effective treatments, without high waiting times,” explains Dr. Leahu.

Pandemia de Covid-19 has highlighted the strategic role of medical clinics

The year 2020 was a turning point for the entire medical world due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and Dr. Leahu clinics became essential during this period. While many private dental offices closed, its network remained functional, ensuring emergency treatments.

“It was a moment of maximum responsibility. We decided to stay open to provide emergency treatments, and this brought us to the attention of authorities and patients. We realized that what we do is not only about business, but about a public health mission,” said Dr. Leahu.

He decided to expand the network from 6 to 13 cities, eventually reaching 15.

Merger with Queen Mary and the future of dentistry

In 2023, Dr. Leahu clinics joined the network of Regina Maria (photo), marking an important step towards integrated medicine. This partnership together brings together the expertise in dentistry and top medical services within Regina Maria, creating a holistic approach to patients' health.

“” We want to offer patients more than dental treatments. We want to integrate dentistry into general medicine, so that each patient benefits from full and coordinated care. What I wanted was to help people have a normal life. And that involves collaborating with more specialists outside our area. We.

Implantology, Student Love

Oral implantology, which is now largely practiced at Queen Maria Dental Clinics, fascinated Dr. Leahu since she was a student and involved in organizing specialized events and conferences.

“I had the opportunity to see some people who wrote implantology books in this world and it was something that fascinated me. As soon as I finished college, I gave a special exam to enter the doctorate and chose a theme, in this implantology area. But then, I am very interested in the mechanical part, that is how to structure the screw and the song that comes and catch the tooth so that we trust that dental implant will work throughout the patient's life and I studied that area a lot. I admit it is one of the projects I haven't finished. I was unable to complete my doctoral thesis, because once I started reading, I started practically, I started to specialize outside the country and I already woke up in 2025. The whole year of training I did, I just had to write and put the case, but I realize that this means 1,000. How do I select from 1,000 cases what to put in the work? It has become such a great topic that I am afraid that I will never have the ability to include it, I can present it to its true value ”, confessed Dr. Ionuț Leahu, who is now trying to reconcile them all, to be involved in the dental activity, to operate, to treat patients, to be a medical, to be a medical education.

“Patients always tell the patients: do not wait for the problems to go to the doctor. Preventive care is the key to a healthy life. And young people who want to follow this road, tell them to be persevering. To believe in their vision and not be afraid to dream of something great,” the doctor concluded.

Article supported by Queen Maria Dental Clinics