Karina Leite

With the mission of spreading smiles, she has travelled between Portugal and Brazil, associated with the name that shapes her daily life: Instituto Karina Leite. Much of her day is dedicated to aesthetic dentistry and oral rehabilitation, emphasising a cultivated side with technical terms that come out as common words. This is justified by her bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees and three specialisations in prosthetics, implantology and digital dentistry. Times call for change, and Karina Leite learnt this when, during the pandemic, she decided to leave Brazil to live in Portugal with her husband, two children and the Institute’s innovative concept. Open to the public since 2022, the clinic follows the philosophy and methodology of the parent company (in Brazil), focusing on digital dentistry, an approach that is still little explored in Portugal. Many are reluctant to be avant-garde, but the dentist uses state-of-the-art equipment to create smiles that change lives.

The Karina Leite Institute was founded in Brazil. Tell us all about its journey until you arrived in Portugal.
The Institute was founded in Brazil, in Maceió, in 1998. With more than two decades of experience in Brazil, I decided to bring the innovative concept of dentistry to Europe. That’s why, in 2022, I opened the Karina Leite Institute in Oeiras, making it an international benchmark in the treatment of smiles. The journey has been marked by tireless dedication to quality dentistry and the relentless pursuit of customer satisfaction. The brand’s mission is the belief that a healthy smile is fundamental to everyone’s well-being and self-confidence. With an unwavering commitment to excellence, the clinic offers a wide range of dental services, making a name for itself in the market as a pioneer in incorporating digital technology to improve the quality and efficiency of dental care. Its vision is clear: to provide first-rate services through digital innovation - and this innovative approach is what defines the brand and has made it grow in Portugal over the past year. At Instituto Karina Leite, digital technology is reflected in a number of distinctive aspects, such as accurate diagnosis using advanced digital imaging tools. This clinic is able to make precise diagnoses, which allows treatment to be more effective. Advanced planning is also carried out, since digital dentistry allows for the virtual planning of complex procedures, ensuring that each intervention is truly tailor-made and efficient; minimally invasive treatment, which results in more comfortable, pain-free approaches and faster recovery for patients; continuous aftercare, using systems to monitor the progress of treatment and results; and, finally, an improved patient experience, because digital dentistry also leads to a more convenient and satisfying experience for patients, with fewer visits to the practice and faster procedures.For me, as a specialist in the field, a digital clinic offers patients such important factors as trust, speed, predictability, comfort, credibility and durability. We are digital from reception to the dental laboratory, Ilab Europe, where we develop and create smiles in 24 hours, with exclusivity and customisation. This approach is what puts the clinic at the forefront of dentistry, and today it is a brand that is shaping the future of the sector, where precision and patient comfort are aligned with the art and science of the healthy smiles.
Instituto Karina Leite in Portugal was created not only to continue what is already being done in Brazil, but also to provide the best service to European citizens. As well as being a very different clinic, it already has 12 employees who look after patients in need of treatment from Sunday to Sunday. 

How smoothly has the clinic adapted to Portugal?
It’s been a natural process. The clinic offers an excellent service with innovative technology, and is always up to date with new equipment being launched on the market, as well as attending training programmes.

«We develop and create smiles in 24 hours»

What is the state of oral health in Portugal?
The state of oral health in Portugal could be better if the state provided support for people who have low financial resources to access dental consultations in primary health care and rehabilitation centres. 

How have scientific advances, research and the use of technology contributed to a more effective response from dentistry?
Scientific and technological advances have been important in facilitating diagnosis and the way in which the dentist approaches the clinical analysis of it, allowing for a quicker and less painful result for the patient. 

What is the main myth about oral health?
The main myth is patient fear, based on the dentistry that was done in the past, which was more painful for the patient. I have noticed that the first thing that affects some people is, in fact, fear. 

What projects do you hope to pursue in the future?
I intend to continue providing excellent services, while introducing new technologies that are presented at trade fairs.  

Who is Karina Leite?
I am a woman who is passionate about her profession. I’m an attentive mum who supports my children in their school and sports activities. I like travelling and getting to know new cultures and fashion trends, and I always try to keep up to date with the world around me.
I began dedicating my life to aesthetic dentistry and dental implant rehabilitation and have been a university professor and lecturer in Brazil and Portugal. For many years I was a spokesperson for aesthetic dentistry for the German dental products brand VOCO Dental. I specialised in digital dentistry at the University of Avantis in Santa Catarina - I was one of the first doctors in the country to do so. That same year, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Through life or fate, my connection with Portugal grew stronger and I moved to Portuguese shores. 

What does being a woman mean to you?
Being a woman means feeling good, being happy and fulfilled in everything you set out to do. It means being strong, determined and courageous, facing challenges and reinventing yourself every day, knowing where you want to go, even if you have to overcome all your fears and barriers. 

What are women fighting for today?
The female struggle is a topic that is widely discussed and I think we are on the right track when it comes to gender equality.