SOUTH EAST WOMAN WINS PAYOUT AFTER CARELESS DENTAL TREATMENT

A woman from the South East has been awarded £4,750 in compensation after her dentist performed such a poor root canal treatment on one of her teeth, that it became so badly infected it needed removing.

Miss E, 54, sued Dr I after discovering she had not only failed to perform the root canal treatment properly, but placed a crown on the same tooth without correcting her original mistake.

Miss E said: “I had a filling in April 2004 followed by another one in the same tooth a few months later. In the November my tooth was still quite sore and I began to get concerned. Dr I told me that if things did not improve I should see her again in six months for a root canal.”

Miss E’s tooth remained very tender so in April 2005 Dr I carried out a couple more fillings, but it did not sort the problem. In November 2005 Dr I then carried out the root canal treatment and then the same month also fitted a crown onto the tooth.

Four years later in December 2009 Miss E saw another dentist at the same practice complaining of toothache.

Miss E said: “I was very concerned about pain again in the same tooth. I was devastated to find out my tooth was so badly infected, I trusted Dr I and thought the root canal treatment and crown would sort everything out. To hear that this treatment had caused all the issues was awful.”

She was given the option by her new dentist to have the tooth removed or to undergo another root canal treatment. To help with the pain and current infection she was prescribed antibiotics.

These did not work so she went back the new dentist again and was given another prescription of antibiotics. These failed to clear the infection and Miss E had her tooth removed in June 2010.

Miss E ended: “What Dr I did was not right. To lose my tooth after so much pain and discomfort has been terrible. I’m glad my case has been settled now so I can begin to move forward with my life.”

Dr I did not admit liability