£17,000 payout for untreated gum disease

Our client, a 47 year old woman from the North West has been awarded £17,000 in an out of court settlement after her dentist left her gum disease condition untreated for 12 years.

Mrs A first attended the defendant, Dr K, in March 1995 for an examination and a scale and polish. At another appointment later in the year she complained of pain at her UR2 (second tooth along on the upper right jaw). Dr K took an x-ray which showed chronic infection of the gum but there was no record of him doing anything about it.

Mrs A trusted Dr K’s judgement and continued to attend for routine checkups between March 1996 and December 2007. Unbeknown to Mrs A she was suffering from gum disease but at none of these appointments was she offered an appointment with the hygienist to prevent the condition from worsening. Mrs A was very concerned about the health of her teeth but was simply advised by Dr K to use mouthwash.

Mrs A’s concerns were realised in January 2008 after her husband contacted Dr K’s practice and requested he refer her for specialist treatment at the dental hospital. At an appointment at the dental hospital in January 2008, Mrs A was diagnosed with chronic periodontitis – gum disease. X rays from the hospital indicated that Mrs A had lost a considerable amount of bone due to the condition and will require extensive treatment to correct Dr K’s failings.

While Dr K did not admit liability for the negligence, Mrs A is pleased with the claim which the Dental Law Partnership helped her bring against him.

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