Mrs R, from the South East of England had a large amount of dental work done between the years 1984 and 2013 with her existing dentist Mr L.
Over nearly 10 years, Mrs R had a total of 7 fillings and a handful of crowns placed by her original dentist, but had always suffered with pains in her teeth. After many complaints and countless X-rays, Mrs R chose to get a second opinion from another dentist and a hygienist. The problems they found were quite shocking.
In April 2013, the new hygienist offered a consultation to Mrs R and found that she was showing signs consistent with that of a very neglected mouth. Considering the amount of work the patient had undertaken over the years, it would seem that this was not just a case of forgetting to brush every now and then.
X Rays showed everything from gross decay, severe cavities and a questionable long term prognosis, potentially ruining Mrs R’s chances of retaining her original teeth.
Vast amounts of fillings, courses of antibiotics, recemented crowns, tooth extractions and hygiene courses were immediately prescribed to treat the underlying decay that should have been detected years ago.
During the investigation into dental negligence it was found that original X-rays in the 90’s clearly showed signs of infection, but these were missed by her original dentist.
It was at this point that the expert dental negligence solicitors at The Dental Law Partnership began the fight for compensation, to help Mrs R get the treatment she deserved. Fortunately the DLP successfully obtained a sum of £16,000 for Mrs R, which would eventually help pay for extensive reconstructive procedures and cover the vast amount of lost earnings caused by the multitude of dental work required.
Cases like these highlight how important it is to seek a compensation claim if you have suffered injury due to dental negligence. A compensation claim not only covers the pain and suffering caused by negligence, but helps victims get their smile back on track, allowing them access to the right dental treatment.
If you feel you have been a victim of dental negligence or suffered due to poor dentistry including misdiagnosis of gum disease, contact the specialist lawyers at The Dental Law Partnership on 0800 0853 823 to get your dental negligence claim underway.