Our client a 50 year old man from Yorkshire and the Humber, was awarded £11,000 in an out of court settlement after his dentist allowed bleach to enter his gum during root canal treatment resulting in permanent damage.
Mr I first attended the defendant, Dr E, in September 2006 for root canal treatment at LL7 – the seventh tooth along on the lower left jaw. During the treatment when Dr E was flushing out one of the tooth roots with the irrigant solution (bleach), Mr I suffered an intense burning sensation and pain.
X rays taken from the appointment reveal that an endodontic instrument used during the procedure was actually protruding through the tip of the root to the gum.
5 hours after the treatment Mr I experienced extensive numbness to his chin and lower lip. Concerned, he returned to Dr E the following day only to be told that he was experiencing the after effects of the local anaesthetic. Following discussions with another dentist at the practice, Dr I later accepted that there was a possibility that the nerve had been damaged during the root canal treatment and referred Mr I to a dental hospital.
Mr I attended the dental hospital in October 2006 complaining of a burning sensation to the lower left lip and tingling pain. It was confirmed that Mr I had suffered permanent nerve damage as a result of Dr E piercing the tooth root with the endodontic instrument thus allowing bleach to come in to contact with a nearby nerve.
While Dr E denied liability for the mistake, Mr I is pleased that he was able to bring a dental negligence claim against him and said – “I will always have numbness in my lower lip and chin but I am glad that I contacted the Dental Law Partnership and that they have helped me get the dental compensation I deserve.”