Compensation for Surrey woman hospitalised after years of poor dental treatment

A woman has been awarded £6,000 in compensation in an out of court settlement after negligent dental treatment left her in agony.

Mrs A, sued her dentist Dr M for substandard work that was carried which resulted in significant suffering and a stay in hospital.

Mrs A said: “My ordeal began back in September 2007 when I went to see Dr M for a filling, which appeared to be fine. In April 2009 I went back in to see him for a check-up. He told me that I now needed to have a crown fitted. This was done the same month.”

A year passed without incident, but in April 2010 Mrs A saw Dr M again because of problems with her crown.

She explained: “It had split right down the middle. Dr M removed it and fitted a replacement. Soon after having it fitted I started having problems. Eating was agony and I could barely talk.”

She continued: “I did not go back in immediately as the pain eased off, but in October 2010 I started getting problems with my tooth again.”

Mrs A went back in to see Dr M who looked at the tooth and told her it would settle down in time.

Five months later in February 2011 Mrs A was back at the practice because the replacement crown had become very loose. Dr M said that he didn’t think there was anything to worry about and to wait and see what happened.

“It was only when I went back in July, doubled up in pain, that he took my concerns seriously,”

“My whole face was throbbing and there was also a weird green discharge coming out my tooth. The whole side of my mouth was a painful mess and I was terrified.”

Dr M treated her with antibiotics and advised her that her tooth would now need to be removed.

Mrs A said: “By this stage I was really unhappy. Even though I had been raising concerns about my treatment Dr M had taken no action. He told me extraction was now the only option on this tooth, something I think could have been avoided.”

Dr M removed the tooth in August 2011.

Mrs A thought that this would mark an end to it all, but shortly afterwards she started getting excruciating headaches. She went to see her GP and was immediately referred to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist.

She said: “I was told that the extraction of my tooth had caused a severe, chronic infection in my right sinus which would need surgery to put right. He said it was one of the worst he had seen.”

Mrs A underwent sinus surgery in May 2012.

Leading dental negligence specialists, The Dental Law Partnership (DLP), took on Loraine’s case and was presented with evidence that showed she had suffered as a direct result of Dr Small’s treatment.

Solicitor Heather Williams from DLP said: “Dr M’s standards fell well short of what was expected of him resulting in frequent periods of pain and anxiety for my client which could have been wholly avoided.”

Mrs A said: “Dr M really let me down. I trusted him and he did not treat me properly. I went through hell because of his inaction. I’m very glad my case has now been settled so I can put this behind me and move on.”

Dr M did not admit liability.

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