Need for Smile Dental Clinic

Need for Smile is a private dental clinic in Lagos, treating families, individuals and company-referred patients since 2019. We handle routine care and most specialist work in one place, so you rarely need to be sent elsewhere.

Our team

You will be seen by a dentist registered with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). Our team is made up of two general dentists, a visiting orthodontist, a dental therapist and three dental surgery assistants. Every clinician's full name and registration status is available on request, and at reception.

Safety and hygiene

Instruments are cleaned, packed and sterilized in an autoclave after every patient, and sterilization cycles are logged daily. Single-use items — needles, gloves, suction tips, bibs — are discarded in front of you. Surfaces are disinfected between patients, and our water lines are flushed and treated on a fixed schedule. You may ask to see any of these records.

Languages spoken

English, Yoruba, Igbo and Pidgin. Tell us in advance if you would like a particular clinician or a family member present during your appointment.

Accessibility

The clinic is on the ground floor with step-free access from the car park, and a wheelchair-accessible restroom. If you need help getting into the building, call ahead and someone will meet you outside.

A first appointment takes about 45 minutes. It is an examination and a conversation — treatment usually starts at a second visit, unless you are in pain.

Who we treat

Adults, children from age two, pregnant patients, older patients, and patients with medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, sickle cell disease and HIV. Nobody is turned away on the basis of a medical condition. Some conditions change how and when we treat, which is why the health questionnaire matters.

What to bring

• A valid ID, and your HMO card or company authorization code if you are using one.
• A list of every medicine you take, including herbal preparations, blood thinners and supplements.
• Any recent X-rays, referral letters or discharge summaries from another clinic or hospital.
• For a child: the parent or legal guardian, or a signed consent letter from them.

Tell us in advance if you

• Are pregnant or breastfeeding, or think you might be pregnant.
• Take blood thinners, bisphosphonates, steroids or are on chemotherapy.
• Have a heart valve problem, a pacemaker, a joint replacement, or have had rheumatic fever.
• Have had a bad reaction to a local anesthetic, latex or any antibiotic.
• Are very anxious about dental treatment. This is common, and it changes how we plan the visit.

If you are nervous

Say so when you book, and we will give you a longer, quieter slot, explain each step before it happens, and agree a hand signal that stops treatment immediately. Ask about the first appointment being a conversation only, with no instruments used.

Times below are typical. Your own plan depends on the examination and X-rays, and we will give you a written estimate before anything starts.

Check-ups and prevention

Examination and X-rays — 30–45 minutes. A full check of teeth, gums, bite, jaw joints and soft tissues, including a screen for oral cancer. Scaling and polishing — 30–60 minutes, removing hardened plaque above and below the gum line. Fluoride and fissure sealants — 15–30 minutes, mostly for children, to protect the grooves of new back teeth.

Fillings and tooth repair

Tooth-colored (composite) fillings — one visit, 30–60 minutes per tooth. Inlays and onlays — two visits, for larger cavities where a filling would be weak. We no longer place new amalgam (silver) fillings except by request.

Root canal treatment

One to two visits, 60–90 minutes each, to save a tooth whose nerve is infected or dying. It relieves pain rather than causing it; the tooth is numbed throughout. A back tooth that has had a root canal almost always needs a crown afterwards to stop it splitting.

Extractions and oral surgery

Simple extraction — 20–40 minutes. Surgical and wisdom tooth removal — 45–90 minutes, sometimes with stitches. We will discuss whether the tooth can be saved before removing it, and what will fill the gap afterwards.

Gum treatment

Bleeding gums, bad breath and loose teeth are usually gum disease, which is treatable but not curable once bone is lost. Treatment is deep cleaning under local anesthetic over two to four visits, then a maintenance cleaning every three to four months.

Crowns, bridges, dentures and implants

Crowns and bridges — two to three visits over two to three weeks. Partial and complete dentures — four to five visits over four to six weeks, plus adjustment appointments. Implants — surgery, then three to six months of healing, then the crown. Implants need healthy gums and enough bone, which the X-ray will show.

Straightening: braces and clear aligners

Fixed metal or ceramic braces, and clear aligners for suitable cases. Treatment runs 12 to 24 months with a check every four to six weeks, followed by retainers — which you keep wearing, or the teeth move back.

Cosmetic treatment

Professional whitening — in-clinic or a custom home kit. It lightens natural teeth only; crowns, veneers and fillings stay the same shade. Veneers and composite bonding — for chipped, worn or gapped front teeth. We will show you the expected result before we prepare any tooth.

Children's dentistry

First visit by the first birthday or when the first tooth appears, then every six months. We use simple language, short appointments and no surprises. Parents stay in the room.

These are indicative ranges, not quotes. Your written estimate is given after the examination, and we do not start work that you have not agreed to in writing.

Every figure in this table is a placeholder. Replace it with your own current fees.

HMO and company patients

We work with Hygeia, Avon, Reliance, AXA Mansard and Leadway Health. Bring your card and get your authorization code before the appointment, since most plans will not pay retrospectively. Plans usually cover consultation, scaling and simple fillings, and usually exclude cosmetic work, implants and orthodontics. Anything your plan does not cover is payable by you on the day, and we will tell you the amount before we start.

Paying

We accept transfer, card and cash, and payment is due on the day of treatment. For treatment over ₦150,000 we can split payment across the course of treatment, with the balance cleared before the final item is fitted. Ask for a receipt every time; we issue one for every payment.

The sequence is the same every time, so there are no surprises.

1. Reception. Arrive 10 minutes early. On a first visit you complete a medical history form, which takes about five minutes.
2. Discussion. The dentist asks what brought you in, what you have noticed, and what you want out of treatment.
3. Examination. Teeth, gums, bite and soft tissues, plus X-rays if they are needed to see between or under the teeth.
4. Findings. You are shown what was found — on the X-ray or a photograph — in plain language.
5. Plan and estimate. The options are set out with their costs, risks and what happens if you do nothing. You decide.
6. Consent. You sign for the treatment you have chosen. You can stop or change your mind at any point, including mid-treatment.
7. Treatment or booking. Simple work often starts the same day. Longer work is booked, and you leave with written aftercare if anything was done.

About X-rays

Dental X-rays use a very small dose of radiation — roughly what you receive from the environment in a day or two — and we only take them when they will change what we do. Tell us if you are pregnant; we will normally delay non-urgent X-rays, and use shielding when one is unavoidable.

Chaperones

You may bring someone into the treatment room, and you may ask for a member of staff to be present. Just say so at reception; no reason is needed.

You will be given these on paper too. If something does not match what you were told in the clinic, follow what the clinic told you and call us.

After an extraction

Bite firmly on the gauze for 45 minutes and do not keep checking it. For the rest of the day: no rinsing, no spitting, no straws, no smoking, no alcohol, no hot drinks. Eat soft, cool food on the other side. From the next day, rinse gently with warm salt water after meals. Some oozing overnight and swelling for two to three days is normal. Take the painkiller you were advised before the anesthetic wears off, not after.

After a filling

Tooth-colored fillings are set immediately and you can eat once the numbness has gone — usually two to three hours. Sensitivity to cold for a week or two is normal. If the tooth feels high when you bite, come back; it takes two minutes to adjust and will otherwise keep hurting.

After root canal treatment

Tenderness when biting for a few days is expected. Avoid chewing hard food on a tooth with a temporary filling, and arrange the permanent crown within the time you were given — an unrestored tooth can split and then cannot be saved.

After scaling or gum treatment

Gums may be tender and teeth sensitive for a few days, and the gums may look as though they have shrunk — that is swelling settling, not damage. Brush normally from the same evening, gently, and use a sensitivity toothpaste. Some bleeding for two or three days is normal; bleeding after two weeks of good cleaning is not, so come back.

After a crown, bridge or denture

New dentures feel bulky and may cause sore spots in the first two weeks — keep wearing them, and book an adjustment rather than leaving them out. Take them out at night, clean them over water, and store them in water. With a temporary crown, avoid sticky and chewy food on that side.

After whitening

Sensitivity for 24–48 hours is normal. For the first two days avoid anything that would stain a white shirt: coffee, tea, red wine, cola, tomato stew, curry, beetroot and tobacco.

Call +234 800 000 0000. We keep same-day slots for pain, bleeding, swelling and trauma. Outside opening hours, the line is answered by a dentist on call.

A tooth has been knocked out

This is the one true dental emergency, and minutes matter. Pick the tooth up by the crown, never the root. If it is dirty, rinse it in milk or saline for a few seconds — do not scrub it. Push it straight back into the socket and bite on a clean cloth. If you cannot, keep it in milk or in the patient's own saliva and get to us within 60 minutes. Never put a tooth in water, and never let it dry out. Baby teeth are not replanted.

Severe toothache

Take the painkiller you normally use safely, keep the head raised, and avoid very hot or very cold food. Painkillers buy time; they do not treat the cause, and an infection that quietens down has not gone away.

Facial swelling

Swelling that is spreading, closing the eye, reaching under the jaw, or making it hard to swallow or breathe needs immediate attention. Outside our hours, go straight to the nearest hospital emergency department rather than waiting for the clinic to open.

Broken tooth or lost filling or crown

Keep the pieces and bring them. Rinse with warm salt water, cover a sharp edge with sugar-free gum if it is cutting your tongue, and avoid chewing on that side. A lost crown can often be re-cemented if it is not damaged.

Bleeding after an extraction

Roll clean gauze or a cotton handkerchief into a firm pad, place it over the socket and bite steadily for 30 minutes without checking. If it is still bleeding heavily after a second attempt, call us or go to the nearest emergency department.

Most of what protects your teeth happens at home. The clinic handles the rest.

Brushing

Twice a day for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste of at least 1,450 ppm. Last thing at night is the one that matters most. Spit, do not rinse — rinsing washes the fluoride away. Use a soft brush at a 45-degree angle to the gum line and let the bristles do the work; scrubbing hard wears away enamel and gum. Replace the brush every three months, and after any illness.

Cleaning between the teeth

A toothbrush reaches about 60% of the tooth surface. Clean between every day with floss or interdental brushes, ideally before brushing at night. Interdental brushes are easier and more effective where the gaps are big enough. Bleeding when you start is normal and usually stops within two weeks of doing it daily.

Diet

How often you have sugar matters more than how much. Sipping a soft drink over an hour does more damage than drinking it in five minutes. Keep sugar to mealtimes, use water between meals, and wait an hour after anything acidic — citrus, soft drinks, vinegar — before brushing.

Children

Brush their teeth for them until they are about seven, and supervise until about ten. A smear of toothpaste under three, a pea-sized amount after. Never send a child to bed with a bottle of anything but water.

Smoking, alcohol and tobacco

Smoking is the largest avoidable cause of gum disease, tooth loss, implant failure and oral cancer, and it hides bleeding gums so problems are found late. If you want to stop, ask us — this is a conversation we have every week, without lecturing.

How often to come in

Every six months for most adults and children; every three to four months if you have gum disease, diabetes, a dry mouth, or you smoke. We will tell you which applies to you and send a reminder when you are due.

Fill this in and it opens a message to us on WhatsApp or in your email app — nothing is sent until you press send there. Or simply call +234 800 000 0000.

Opening hours

Finding us

12 Ogunlana Drive, Surulere, Lagos — the white two-storey building opposite the pharmacy, second gate after the bus stop. Parking for four cars is inside the compound. If you are coming by bus or ride-hailing, ask for the Ogunlana Drive junction and walk two minutes north.

Your records and your privacy

We collect only what we need to treat you safely: your contact details, medical history, clinical notes, X-rays and payment records. We keep them securely and retain them for seven years after your last visit, or until a child patient turns 25. We do not sell your data or share it for marketing. We share it only with your consent, with a clinician we are referring you to, with your HMO for the purpose of paying your claim, or where the law requires it. Under the Nigeria Data Protection Act you may ask to see your records, ask for corrections, or withdraw consent, by writing to hello@needforsmile.com.

Photographs

Clinical photographs are part of your record. We will not use any photograph of you for teaching, social media or advertising without separate written consent, and you may withdraw that consent later.

Cancellations and missed appointments

Give us 24 hours' notice to change or cancel, so the slot can go to someone in pain. A missed appointment without notice may attract a fee of ₦5,000, and repeated missed appointments may mean we can no longer offer you booked slots.

Lateness

If you arrive more than 15 minutes late we will treat you if the day allows, and otherwise rebook you — running late for one patient pushes everyone behind for the rest of the day.

Children and consent

Patients under 18 need a parent or legal guardian present for the first visit and for any treatment, or a signed consent letter naming the adult who will accompany them.

If something goes wrong

Tell us first — most problems are fixed the same week. Speak to the dentist who treated you, or write to hello@needforsmile.com. We acknowledge complaints within three working days and respond fully within 14 days. If you remain unhappy you may take the matter to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.

If you are a dentist, therapist or assistant looking for work with us, or a clinic wanting to refer a patient, write to the same address and mark it for the clinic manager.