“The constant drive to evolve” – Forbes WOMEN 2024
Dr. Elena Voeva, the founder of Voeva Dental Clinic, uses the latest high-tech methods in her practice to achieve healthy and beautiful smiles.
Forbes Special Project
Dr. Elena Voeva is a member of the European Aligner Association, Master Aligner Academy and the Bulgarian Orthodontic Society. She was awarded first prize in the international competition “Smile of the Year” 2023 in the category “Aligner treatment for children and teenagers”. She also received awards in the categories of “Complex Aesthetic Restoration”, “Orthodontic Treatment with Aligners for Adults” and “Restorative Smile Makeover with Photopolymer”.
He has attended numerous qualification courses in the country and abroad. Dr. Voeva is a certified Invisalign Diamond Provider and has earned a Master’s Degree in Invisalign from the Master Aligner Academy in Portugal. She has a Master’s degree in working with Incognito custom lingual braces and is a certified Digital Smile Designer.
How did your interest in dentistry come about?
My story began in my teenage years when I decided to become a dentist. Despite the advice of my father, who thought that it was not an easy profession for a woman, I was convinced that I wanted to take this path. I have been in this profession for 20 years now and find it endlessly interesting. I didn’t think it would ever be possible to work the way I do now.
I started out with very conventional, traditional dentistry, but I’ve had the chance to evolve in times where new technologies and trends are coming out. I started taking courses, travelling and learning a lot. My great love is orthodontics. In the beginning it was braces, then I had braces put in, gradually I realized that new things were coming in like internal braces that are digitally designed. I got very curious, got certified and started using them in my work. But it wasn’t enough for me. I was looking for new challenges.
At one point there was talk of “invisible orthodontics”. I got certified to work with aligners. In fact, that was the moment I saw new opportunities and a chance to treat my patients better.
Photo: Kostadin Krastev-KOKO
How difficult was it for you to introduce new technologies into your practice?
It was not an easy task because it was unlike anything I had studied. A lot of additional training was needed. But every thing one starts is a serious challenge at the beginning.
Innovations are constantly coming out in our field, and we need to keep up with rapidly evolving technology to provide the best care for our patients.
What is the biggest leap that technology has allowed you to make in recent years?
For me, it was the ability to digitally plan treatment. We have two high-tech iTero scanners in the clinic that scan the position and condition of the teeth, as well as the patient’s bite. We visualise the problems with the alignment of the teeth, but most of all we use artificial intelligence to make a simulation of the end result of the treatment. Our latest iTero 5D NiRi scanner has unique advantages.
It’s impressive to be able to detect even small changes in enamel density and pre-caries conditions that can’t be diagnosed on radiographs or a routine exam, but most impactful for the patient is to see on the screen what their smile will look like after their teeth are aligned. The artificial intelligence develops an image where it overlays the new position of the teeth onto a picture of the patient’s current smile.
How are patients responding to this innovation?
I think it’s very educational and curious for patients because with technology we’re jumping the communication gap and the patient becomes a real participant in changing their vision. Being able to see the outcome of the planned treatment helps him make a decision and accept the proposed plan to achieve his dream smile.
What are the advantages for you as a doctor?
It gives me peace of mind that I am doing my job well because I can plan every detail of the treatment. Unlike when I was working with braces, which are a great but rather outdated option, now with aligners I can control the software and plan the movement of each individual tooth at each step of the treatment. I have the ability to set a sequence of tooth movements, in line with biomechanical principles, to get to the end result more quickly and precisely.
What are the trends in aesthetic dentistry?
When patients walk into the clinic, they usually want a beautiful smile and white teeth. This is where my work begins to create the conditions for this to happen. Before we talk about aesthetics, we need to take care of health. It is unthinkable to comment with patients about placing veneers or fabricating bonding before correcting the incorrect position of the teeth.
Using digital smile design, we plan the shape and size of future restorations to be in harmony with facial proportions. The patient can see their long-awaited smile not only on the computer screen, but also by transferring the design directly onto their teeth. Only after he approves his new vision do we start treatment.
Do you apply digital technology in other areas of dentistry?
In our clinic, implant treatment is also planned digitally. Based on a three-dimensional radiographic examination, Dr. Haralampi Voev plans the most suitable position for implant placement. Together with a dental technician they develop a surgical guide, thanks to which the implantation becomes a very easy manipulation for the patient with an extremely fast recovery period.
What were the challenges in setting up the clinic?
It is a challenge to find a balance between the medical profession, a vocation that I have chosen with much love and which in my ideas involves only caring for patients, and the role of a person who has to build a business. A business that allows me to offer a quality service, to use high-tech equipment, to invest in a qualified team.
Because the team isn’t just the doctors – it’s the assistants, the administrators and all the people involved in the process. In fact, the main challenge was creating a team. Finding people who have the same love for the profession and the same attitude towards patients.
What drives you every day to keep evolving?
Curiosity and enthusiasm. I am a person who is not satisfied with what he knows, can and has already achieved. I think we humans are wired that way – when you achieve something, it’s already a stepping stone to the next thing. I like to challenge myself both professionally and personally. I’m lucky to have a profession that gives me the opportunity to learn new things and apply them to my work.
Forbes Bulgaria article: https://forbesbulgaria.com/2024/07/17/neprekasnatiyat-stremezh-da-se-razvivash/
