Dental and eye care are usually the parts of health care people put off until something hurts. In Lagos, finding a good practitioner before then is worth the effort.
Dentists
- Public hospitals: the teaching hospitals, LUTH and LASUTH, have dental departments and dental schools, and treat at lower cost, with waits.
- Private dental clinics practise across the mainland and the Island, from single dentists to large practices with specialists.
Dentists must be registered with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. Ask, and check. Ask for a written estimate before any treatment beyond a check-up, and a second opinion before anything large.
Eye care
- An optometrist tests your eyes and prescribes glasses and contact lenses.
- An ophthalmologist is a doctor who treats eye disease and operates: cataracts, glaucoma, injuries.
- Opticians make and sell glasses.
The teaching hospitals have eye departments for serious problems, and private eye clinics practise across the city. Glaucoma causes blindness without symptoms until late; an eye test that includes the pressure check is worth having regularly, especially from middle age and if it runs in your family.
Glasses
Get the prescription in writing and take it where you like. Prices for the same frames and lenses vary widely between shops, so compare.
What insurance covers
Many health insurance plans cover dental and eye care only partly, or with a low annual limit; some exclude glasses and cosmetic dental work. Read your plan, and ask your HMO which clinics it uses.