FIVE LOCAL DENTISTS FAILED WEST MIDLANDS WOMAN OVER 12 YEAR PERIOD RESULTING IN AVOIDABLE LOSS OF TWO TEETH

A West Midlands woman has received £14.5K in damages after five different dentists over a 12 year period failed to diagnose and treat decay in her two teeth resulting in a catalogue of problems, ending with the avoidable loss of two teeth.

Mrs T first attended a dental examination with Dr L in 2004. Mrs T had X-rays taken which showed a crown at one of her lower right teeth had a defect. Over the next six years Mrs T continued to attend check-ups and routine examinations with Dr L. In 2010, Mrs T attended an emergency appointment with Dr L. Examination showed that a filling on her Lower Right molar tooth had fallen out. Dr L replaced the filling.

Mrs T then went to a new dental practice where she saw four separate dentists, Dr O, Dr H, Dr A and Dr K.

In 2013, Mrs T went to Dr A for another regular appointment where X-rays showed extensive decay in her lower right tooth which would require extraction. Instead of extracting the tooth Dr A just filled the tooth. Another Lower right molar also had decay present but nothing was done by the dentist to treat it.

When Mrs T went to see a completely new dentist to have her teeth reviewed as she still remained in pain, an X-ray showed there was gross decay in two of her lower right teeth and that both teeth would now need to be removed and then a course of corrective treatment would be required. This would include implant therapy for the gaps where the extracted teeth came from, and implant retained crowns for the rest of her’ life.

Mrs T said of her ordeal: “This whole case has been an absolute shambles. I feel I have been pushed into paying over the odds on too many occasions for dental check-ups which never really solved anything. I was off to Canada and America on a holiday and it was completely ruined as I couldn’t eat or drink properly as the dentists had not corrected my problems. I will require an expensive implant and possibly a plate at huge costs to me and I feel all of this could have been resolved by simply looking at my teeth and giving me treatment every year and diagnosing me properly. I find it scandalous people are allowed to operate as dentists and still get new patients and I hope this brings some justice to them”.

Dental Law Partnership’s said: “Mrs T has had a terrible decade suffering pain and toothache, having to attend and revisit dentists who have not treated her teeth correctly. She suffered avoidable loss of her two lower teeth and is now required to have implant therapy at a huge cost. On top of this she will need implant retained crowns for the rest of her life. It is unbelievable that 5 different dentists were unable to diagnose any problems over the last ten years nor treat her properly”.

An out of court settlement of £14.5K was awarded against Drs Dr L, Dr O, Dr A and Dr K and Dr H. They did not admit liability for their actions.

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