Romanian dentistry with Swiss clock precision: how technology changes experience in the dentist

Romanians avoid the dentist. It is shown by all the statistics, but also our common memories – the stingy eugenol smell, the mill that paralyzed even the bravest patients, the lack of explanations and empathy. However, something changes.

At the intersection between technology, precision medicine and real care for the patient, Dental Elite manages to turn to the dentist into a predictable, human and painless experience. And behind this transformation are the brothers Bogdan and Alexandru Ciucu: one with experience in business and investments, the other implantologist passionate about innovation and empathy in the medical act.

I talked to them about what a clinic thought looks like around patients – not just the treatments – and how Romania can finally reach an accessible and high quality dentistry.

Interview with Bogdan and Alexandru Ciucu, Dental Elite

Most people are afraid of the dentist. How did you think the clinic so that patients are leaving smiling, not just with the smile rebuilt?

Bogdan Ciucu: The fear of dentist is often related to childhood experiences – smells, the sound of the mill or the lack of empathy from the doctor. When we built Dental Elite, we set out to change this radically. I created welcoming, hot spaces, without that cold air of medical clinic. We made sure that the patients are patiently welcomed, they are explained every step, they are not in the face of hasty decisions.

Alex Ciucu: There are patients who come to us with real anxiety. Not only with pain, but also of surprises. “Will it cost more? Will it last longer? Will it hurt more than I was told?” And here the technology helps us – we make the digital plan, we simulate it, we show it to the patient. He knows exactly what his smile will look like before we touch the tooth.

How do you rewrite a bad memory and dentistry experiences with which many Romanians have grown?

Alex Ciucu: We always thought of the patient who avoids the dentist in fear, not for lack of time or other resources. Therefore, we introduced clear protocols, empathic communication and equipment that reduce pain and working time. You realize how important the first impression is when a patient tells you, in the end, that it was the first time he felt safe in a cabinet.

Bogdan Ciucu: Nowadays, patients are already informed. I know quite well what scares them, what awaits them, and there is no place for half explanation. And when I feel they are treated as people, not as medical records, something changes in the doctor-patient relationship.

What does precision medicine mean and why is it important to each patient?

Alex Ciucu: It means treating man, not just the tooth. Each treatment is adapted to the bone structure, the position of the teeth, the lifestyle and the patients' goals. The technology allows us to work at the micron level, with 3D images and digital simulations. This translates into less pain, fewer sessions and stable results over time.

Bogdan Ciucu: Moreover, I would complete that precision comes from both the equipment and the multidisciplinary team we have at Dental Elite. We are talking about orthodons, implantologists, periodontologists, surgeons, doctorates – people who complement and consult real. It is what allows us to solve complex cases, without improvisations.

What does “100% digital” mean to patients?

Alex Ciucu: Do not bite from the spoon with silicone, but we dig up digital the oral cavity. Instead of waiting for two weeks for a crown, we rub it in a few hours. Everything is digital – the sheets, the communication between the doctors, the archiving of the radiographs. Not only is it more efficient, but also much more comfortable for the patient.

Bogdan Ciucu: Romania already has a Savvy Tech Public, and the number of virtual wallets is one of the largest in Europe, so I recently introduced payment in Crypto. For us, Digital means being prepared for today's patient, not just yesterday.

How does a family business grow in a market full of independent offices?

Bogdan Ciucu: I started Dental Elite with a clear vision: a network of premium clinics, but accessible. Performing technology should not be a luxury. Currently, we have five clinics – in Brasov and Bucharest – and a team of over 100 people, of which 40 are doctors. Our investments have passed 3.5 million euros and were directed in digitalization and in humans.

But the highest validation comes from the fact that 70-75% of new patients reach us through recommendations. We grow organic, healthy, without compromises, and in the coming years we want to reach a market share of 10% in Romanian dentistry.

Where should, in your opinion, dental medicine in Romania over 10 years?

Alex Ciucu: Dentistry should reach a point where prevention is a norm, not exception. In which regular controls are natural, not emergencies. We dream of a Romania where going to the dentist is no longer afraid, but a regular care, just like going to the room or the family doctor.

The future of implantology and prosthetic treatments, in Romania and not only, sounds good. Technologies are constantly moving, and materials and biomaterials become more and more accessible. This helps us, as doctors, to achieve stable results, to change the lives of patients really and – most importantly – to offer long -term predictable solutions.

Bogdan Ciucu: I think Romania can become a landmark in East-European dentistry. Not with prohibitive prices, but with respect for the medical act and with clinics that offer what they promise – without fear, without surprises, accurately, as a Swiss watch.

Article supported by Dental Elite