Keep a date with your dentist, family physician

Keep a date with your dentist, family physician

CEO, Beaconhill Smile Clinic, Dr. Oluwaseun Akinbobola

WHEN last did you see your dentist? Have you been to your family physician lately? If you are one of those who only see the dentist when you have a toothache, or call on the family physician only when you are feeling down in the dumps, then you need a rethink. CEO, Beaconhill Smile Clinic, Dr. Oluwaseun Akinbobola Experts say everyone should see their dentist once every six months and their family physician even more regularly.

Seeing the dentist is particularly important for good dental and oral health care. However, it is not uncommon to come across many Nigerians in their 60’s and 70’s that have lost a few teeth, even though the norm is for everyone to have their complete set of teeth all through life.

It is also common to find a lot of the younger people with dental caries, while periodontal diseases that affect the gums are more common with the older generation. Making these and other assertions during the opening of Nigeria’s first 7-day dental practice in Lagos recently, Dr. Oluwaseun Akinbobola, CEO, Beaconhill Smile Clinic, Victoria Island, Lagos, emphasised the importance of regular dental checks. Akinbobola, a UK trained dentist, said very few people pay attention to their dental care and urged for better recognition and respect of dentistry as a profession in Nigeria.

“That is what we are out to preach. In Nigeria dentistry as a profession is not appreciated, yet this is a practice that aims at preventive dental care and aesthetic dentistry,” he noted, explaining that every set of teeth is meant to last the owner’s lifetime. “Once you lose your teeth, they are irreplaceable, except you get implants.

We want to teach you what you can do to keep your teeth for as many years as you are meant to have them. We also want to improve on your confidence. Through the orthodontic branch of the clinic, we can improve on your self-esteem, fix alignment of the teeth and give you your confidence back.” The dental clinic has been set up in conjunction with a family clinic, Kleinburg Medical Centre, is specifically designed to create awareness about the need for such check-ups, at least once in six months. Both centres are expected to reduce the need for medical trips abroad. Chief Executive Officer of the family clinic, Dr. Akeem Anifowose, explained that physicians who specialise in family medicine provide comprehensive care to patients of all ages with all sorts of conditions. Anifowoshe who has practiced in Canada for several years, plans to replicate the qualitative family healthcare services available in the US and UK in Nigeria. “Family physicians are often the first to learn about new symptoms and the first to diagnose emerging conditions,” he explains. “When someone has a non-emergency health concern, they often see a family physician first, because they focus on the ‘whole patient’ and provide treatment over long time periods. Family physicians are uniquely suited to providing preventive care and managing chronic and complex conditions. They also screen for early signs of serious conditions, such as cancer.” In several ways, Beaconhill Smile Clinic and Kleinburg Medical Centre are two of a kind, offering a unique blend of preventive care and cosmetic medicine, strictly on outpatient basis.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/09/keep-a-date-with-your-dentist-family-physician/