LOCAL MAN TO LOSE TEN TEETH AFTER DENTISTS FAIL TO SPOT AND TREAT DECAY FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS

• 55-year-old Gary Carr from Buxton, Derbyshire, will lose multiple teeth after dentists fail to spot and treat decay and provided poor fillings and root canal treatments.
• Mr Carr has already lost six teeth, suffered episodes of pain and infection over may years and requires extensive corrective treatment
• £50,000 received in compensation

Gary Carr, a 55-year-old assistant manager from Buxton, Derbyshire, has won £50,000 in compensation from local dentists with the help of specialist dental negligence solicitors, The Dental Law Partnership. The dentists’ failure to spot and treat decay over a 38 year period has resulted in Mr Carr losing six teeth to date and the possibility of losing more in the future

Mr Carr had been a patient at Broadwalk Dental Practice in Buxton Derbyshire, since 1978, and was treated by dentists at the practice. The dentists included Dr Michael Hallam, Dr Ian Richard Lewis and Dr Oliver Ratcliffe. Mr Carr always believed he was in good hands but unfortunately this turned out not to be the case.

“Initially, I never doubted the treatment I was receiving,” Mr Carr said. “Despite having a few dental issues over the years, dentists are doctors. You naturally trust their advice and assume they know what they’re doing.”

Between 1978 and 2015, Mr Carr visited the dentist on many occasions complaining of discomfort and later severe pain at his teeth. Over the decades, the dentists ended up placing countless fillings, undergoing root canal treatment on several occasions and had dentures fitted that ended up causing him excruciating pain. The continuous problems with his teeth eventually led to six of them being extracted between 2004 and 2015.

Finally, frustrated by the pain, time spent at the dentist, and the cost of the never-ending-dental treatment, Mr Carr decided enough was enough and saw a new dentist in June 2015. His new dentist was shocked to find that many of Mr Carr’s teeth were severely damaged from decay, and the supposed corrective treatment he had received in the form of fillings and root canal treatment had not been undertaken properly. All this meant extensive further treatment was now required.

“I was in complete shock,” Mr Carr recalls. “I had spent so much of my time and money visiting Broadwalk Dental Practice in an attempt to fix decades of countless problems, but it was all for nothing. Of course, in hindsight, I wish I had seen a new dentist much sooner. But I’d trusted the dentists and just believed I had weak teeth, but it was all because they weren’t doing their jobs properly.”

Mr Carr then contacted the Dental Law Partnership. Analysis of his dental records revealed that the dentists had provided shocking care all over his mouth by failing to spot and treat decay, placing poor fillings, carrying out poor root canal treatments and failing to address tooth surface loss. As a result, Mr Carr underwent a protracted and avoidable course of remedial treatment with his new dentist which involved, amongst other things the placement of crowns and implants.

“I never dreamed that my teeth would get this bad,” Mr Carr said. “Putting the pain and lost teeth aside, I spent my savings on treatment that either wasn’t undertaken properly or wasn’t needed in the first place. I’m pleased to finally be getting the treatment I deserve, and I am getting my old smile back. The whole experience has been terrible.”

Daniel Kinnear of The Dental Law Partnership commented: “The distress and pain our client experienced was completely unnecessary. If the dentists had provided the appropriate treatment in the first place the decades of dental problems he went through could have been avoided. We hope the compensation received goes some way towards paying for the extensive corrective treatment required.”

The Dental Law Partnership took on Mr Carr’s case in July 2015. The case was successfully settled in July 2017 when Dr Oliver Ratcliffe denied liability but nevertheless paid Mr Carr £5000.00 and Dr Michael Hallam and Dr Ian Richard Lewis did not admit liability but together made a settlement to Mr Carr of £45,000.00.