Guardian

As state-of-the-art Choice Dental Centre opens in Lagos

APPARENTLY to keep tabs on innovations in dental practice, experts have advocated for a structured group practice among practitioners, to raise local services to international standard.

The experts, who spoke at the commissioning of a private state-of-the-art facility, Choice Dental Centre in Lagos at the weekend reiterated the need for collaborative practice, where various practitioners in the field could work under one roof, share expertise, while training new hands and giving exceptional dental services to Nigerians.

Renowned dentists, with specialty in Cosmetics Dentistry, Dr. Sade Akiode explained that the knowledge-sharing approach was in line with global trend, aimed at offering top of the range dental services to patients in quick time.

According to her, “with the group practice, doctors with different specialties and subspecialties come together to share ideas. They are able to treat patients effectively, which is also good for the doctors because they are not often stressed out, like it is when managing their own private offices single-handedly.

“The benefit for the patient is that the doctors come together to discuss cases and provide the best service for the patient,” she said.

Akiode observed that practitioners in health care now realize that health is produced through complex mechanisms and that the intervention of one provider, such as a dentist, may be necessary but not sufficient to help individuals achieve their health goals.

Dentistry, which is the branch of medicine involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases, disorders coupled with their impact on the human body, has different subspecialties.

Besides the dentists, there is also a supporting team – dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental technicians, and dental therapists – all of who must effectively collaborate using modern equipment to produce the best result.

Akiode noted that structured group practice was the in-thing in the United States, where she had practiced for about three decades, but hardly seen in Nigeria.

“In the area of training, over the years in America, I have attended a lot of mini-residences in full mouth reconstruction, cosmetic dentistry, Invisalign, laser surgery, prosthodontic and children dentistry. That is basically what the private offices in America are known for, where you go for your training and you get better at what you are doing.

“But over the years, I kept coming to Nigeria and found that there weren’t a lot of dental facilities around, especially the group practice type found the in the U.S This is what we can replicate here, which informed the idea of the Choice Dental Centre. ”

Akiode, who is also the founder of the 10-Chair Dental facility, said the intention was to bring in younger dentists in Nigeria, to train using the new technology, while giving standard care services to patients.

“There is so much going on in dentistry and we definitely need to be part of this. Our focus is not just on dental health but other parts of the body as a whole in relation to dentistry. In particular making sure that the patients’ needs are understood and met,” she said.

Dr. Titi Goncalves added that the centre is unique for its diagnostic knowledge, accommodating collaborations with specialists in the United States, and consultants on ground.

She said oral health means much more than healthy teeth, rather an integral to general health. It follows, then, that a wide range of health care providers can facilitate the production of oral health as part of overall physical, mental, and social well-being.

She added that services offered range from cosmetic dentistry, veneers, tooth whitening, crowns and bridges, bonding, snap on smile, dental implants, smile makeover, general dentistry, white fillings, root canal therapy (RCT), dentures, extractions, children’s dentistry, special services, Invisalign, preventive dentistry, digital X-ray, dental cleaning (prophylaxis and deep cleaning), oral cancer screening and oral night guards.

“All the procedures that have not been hitherto explored are coming. The fear of going to the dentist that many people do not like is now taken care of with the Laser technique that makes drilling less painful, is one of the unique selling points here.  It will be value for money and everybody here will leave with a smile,” she said.

Eminent personalities who attended the official opening in Victoria Island lauded the initiative, as a boost to healthcare in the country. Among them were Prof. Pat Utomi, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Special Duties, Dr. Remi Desalu; Prof. of Medicine, College of Medicine University of Lagos (CMUL), Michael Isiekwe and Mr. Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti among others.

Prof. Isiekwe on inspection of the facility said the centre indeed has cutting-edge technology.

“We have technology, but this is cutting edge, the latest of them all. Orthodontic wise, they are bringing new technology to improving the patients’ physical and emotional well-being.

“Invisalign is there, also the whitening procedure that they are introducing is one of the latest in the system. On the whole, it is going to impact on the health of the people of our country,” he said.