Teacher speaks of severe maltreatment from incompetent Bristol dentist

Specialist dental negligence solicitors, the Dental Law Partnership, supported teacher Julie English in her campaign to receive justice for the maltreatment and neglect she received at the hands of Bristol dentist, Dr Paul Murphy.

The 56-year-old mother-of-one endured severe pain after Dr Murphy, who is based at The Dental Surgery, 15 The Mall, Clifton in Bristol, fitted a bridge that resulted in Julie losing a perfectly healthy tooth and later requiring a sinus lift – an invasive surgical procedure which aims to increase the amount of bone in the upper jaw.

Julie, who lived in Bristol at the time but now resides with her husband, Ian Millard in Brighton, was successfully awarded £12,000 after she appointed the Dental Law Partnership to take on her case, however, Dr Murphy never admitted liability following his serious failings.

Associate solicitor, Jonathan Owen at the Dental Law Partnership, said: “Julie would never have had to endure extensive and invasive remedial treatment if Dr Murphy had considered the implications of the bridge on otherwise healthy teeth. By fitting the bridge and preparing healthy teeth, he has subjected Julie to a lifetime of restorative treatment. He also failed to appreciate that it would be very difficult to match the colour of the bridge to Julie’s natural teeth.”

Although Julie has already undergone some treatment to rectify the mistakes including two root canal treatments, she is still facing a further extraction and three implants.

Julie said: “Dr Murphy was a respected dentist in an affluent area of Bristol and I trusted him. My experience, however, was far from excellent. His response, after I had been back to see him three times in three consecutive weeks stating that he had not addressed the issue with the pain and sensitivity, was ‘oh you’re here again, what now!’ He didn’t care about my pain or how embarrassing it was for me to keep going back.

“The pain was like an exposed nerve. I needed pain killers all the time but nothing would make it go away. Dr Murphy told me that all filed down teeth under bridges are sensitive and that it was fine, he did not address my pain at all. He just wouldn’t admit that there was something wrong.”

The digital design teacher became so exasperated with Dr Murphy and enduring never ending pain that she sought a second opinion.

“I visited another dentist and she was appalled and shocked at my teeth. She confirmed that the bridge that Dr Murphy had fitted was too big and wanted to address the pain and replace the bridge with a more suitable one to match the rest of my teeth. She also attempted root canal surgery but it didn’t work,” explained Julie.

As well as having to endure pain and corrective procedures for the past three years, Julie has also experienced self-esteem issues as a result of Dr Murphy’s failings.

Julie said: “The treatment I have received from Dr Murphy has affected me on a number of levels. As a teacher, it’s not nice to have to present in front of students when you’re having big problems with your teeth. Financially it has cost me £10,000 to £11,000 as I had to have specialised root canal treatment. I have lost a lot of self-confidence and spent a lot of time back and forth at the dentist.”

Concluding, Julie said: “I’m very grateful for all the support that the Dental Law Partnership has given me regarding the incompetent dentistry and lack of care. There is no financial support out there for people who experience dental negligence. The money I have received at least means I can pay off the debt that I had to accrue to pay for the treatment.

“I don’t smile much now as I have two missing teeth. But when I do, I smile with my mouth closed. I will get over this when I have the implants.”