Lucia Voces studied and practised as a dentist in Madrid for more than three years. She then moved to Switzerland for personal reasons, motivated by the desire to learn another language and immerse herself in another culture. After two years at an orthodontic clinic in Montreux, she joined the Smile and Care team in Eaux-Vives.

Why did you choose orthodontics?

Orthodontics requires excellence, perfectionism and empathy. I love attention to detail, having the chance to enhance smiles, achieving a perfect result, and ultimately improving my patients’ quality of life—including their swallowing function and overall well-being. I am a meticulous person, and orthodontics is the art of precision. I truly feel in my element.

For what types of treatments do patients visit an orthodontist?

There are three main reasons:

• Children: From the age of 10, almost all of the permanent teeth are in place. We recommend an initial check-up from this age onwards. If you wait a few years, the treatments are generally longer. At this age, orthodontics can correct breathing and swallowing problems or a lack of space..
• Adults: Adults can have a variety of problems: missing teeth that need to be replaced with implants or that require restoration. Orthodontics is used to prepare the site for the implant. Very often, this type of treatment can correct sleep disorders – especially snoring – because the jaw often suffers from growth problems.
• More aesthetic treatments, such as teeth straightening. But very often, major treatments are required.

What type of treatments do you provide?

The consequences of problems with jaw growth have obvious and uncomfortable consequences, such as breathing difficulties. Depending on the growth of the palate, a child who breathes through the mouth will exert negative pressure on the palate and the tongue will not be positioned correctly. It is important to remember that the palate is the roof of the mouth and the floor of the nose. Everything is circular! If the palate does not develop as it should, breathing is impeded. It is very important to correct this as early as possible, sometimes with the support of speech therapists.

What do you like most about jour job?

The opportunity to work with children. Being an orthodontist is also a hands-on profession, requiring meticulous finishing touches. It’s not a mechanical job—it’s something innate. I truly believe I was made for this profession.

What type of orthodontics do you practise with children children?

With children, we work on the jaw, to ensure there is enough space for the teeth, as well as their alignment. As I have already mentioned, good orthodontic treatment has positive effects on phonation, breathing and swallowing. When necessary, we collaborate with speech therapists and osteopaths.

And with adults?

We work more on teeth alignment (Invisalign aligners or braces), we correct teeth grinding (bruxism) or prepare the necessary space for future implants.

In your opinion, what qualities are necessary to excel in this profession?

It is a job that requires meticulousness and patience. My mission is to guide patients towards maintaining their dental health. Meticulousness, because it often requires very delicate work to prevent them from feeling pain, and patience, because you have to know how to take the time to carry out a good dental cleaning and establish quality contact.

How do dental technologies enhance orthodontic treatments today?

They enable us to plan treatments as effectively as possible, to have a treatment schedule before we even start. Using cephalometry (dental X-ray), I am able to measure the number of millimetres to be moved with extreme precision, and in which direction to move the teeth. My goal is for our treatments to be long-lasting, not just aesthetic.

Aesthetic orthodontics is gaining many followers. What are your thoughts on this?

I think aesthetics are important, because a smile says a lot about a person. As Coco Chanel said, you won’t get a second chance to make a good first impression. Today, Invisalign treatments are invisible and painless. Many of our patients strive for perfection, and I am a fan of details.

What are your objectives in terms of professional development?

I am lucky to be able to share my knowledge and skills with my colleagues. Smile and Care has two clinics known for the excellence of their orthodontic care, and we have real talents here, both in terms of know-how and interpersonal skills. I want to help ensure that we become the dental clinics of choice for orthodontic care.