An Evening with Smile Designer

Funke Olaode

The soul music emanating from speakers provided an ambience of comfort

for guests as they mingled freely flashing broad smiles that Friday evening. Although, it was a dental- medical event, the number of dignitaries that graced the occasion spoke volumes about the popularity.

Entering this five-star practice you could think you had just walked into a boutique hotel with inviting atmosphere, friendly staff and glamorous lounge instantly creating a feeling relaxation. Each room was equipped with the latest high tech equipment and technologies. No wonder it has won for two consecutive years, the Best Dental Service Provider Winner for 2015 and 2016 at the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Awards.

Smile360 Dental Specialists led by its Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Dr. Amy Traore-Shumbusho recently hosted the crème de crème to a re-launch of the dental clinic’s world class facility in a bigger and more comfortable environment at Cameron Ikoyi, Lagos.

The dental specialist clinic claims to be the first purpose built Orthodontic Centre in Lagos providing first class treatments and services in a fully equipped, state-of-the-art, ultra-modern environment. Some of the facilities include 12 dental chairs, a children section, a reception and a lounge area. Equipped with the latest technology including a 3D X-Ray; and an Ultra Oral Scanner, which happens to be the only one in Nigeria.

Smile360 is setting high dental standards in Nigeria to match that of UK and US. The dental center also provides comprehensive services such as teeth whitening, Hollywood Smile, Invisalign, Digital Smile Design and Implants. Other services include Family Dentistry, Endodontics, Prosthodontics, Cosmetic dentistry, Orthodontic and invisible braces, Dental implants, Maxillo-facial surgery, Periodontology, Laser dentistry. This is aimed at design a beautiful smile.
A well rounded individual whose family cross-cultural heritage is always a reporters’ delight, her mother hails from Calabar in Cross River State while her father is from Mauritania and she is also married to a Rwandan. She speaks French, Arabic and English fluently.

She graduated from the University of Toulouse, France in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedic. After secondary education on Mauritania in 1985, she proceeded to University of Rabat in Morocco where she graduated with a bachelors’ degree in dental science in 1992 and later capped it with post graduate studies in France earning a doctoral degree (PhD) and continued her education in United States. She is a well-known and respected figure in the practice of dentistry in Nigeria. She is one of the first specialists in Invisible Orthodontics (through lingual braces and the Invisalign technique in West Africa.

Her thirst for success was clearly seen during her time in University of France; as an athletic young woman she played basketball at a competitive level, was a keen swimmer and golfer winning various sporting and academic laurels.

Much of her achievement at Smile 360 have been possible with a wonderful support team, her patients who believe in her competence, solid family support system (her husband and children) and above all, her mother who has been her backbone over the years.

In the past four years, Dr. Traore-Shumbusho through her Corporate Social Responsibility initiated a programme tagged ‘Project Smile 360’ aimed at helping those who can’t afford the treatment. She said it is targeted at those who have suffered imaginative trauma, stigma.

Through the initiative, the beneficiaries from Season one to three have cause to smile now after embarking on treatment that last 24 months. She believes it is a great venture to invest in as she unveils the season four in June
In her testimony, special guest of honour and Chief Executive Officer, Avon Medical Services Limited, Dr. Awele Tony- Elumelu extolled the virtues of Dr. Traore-Shumbusho who she described as a compassionate being.