Our client, a 40 year old man originally from the South East, was awarded £15,000 in an out of court settlement following faulty orthodontic treatment and a failed implant.
Mr A first saw the defendant, Dr T, in August 2005 when he began a course of orthodontic treatment to improve the appearance of his crooked teeth. During the initial consultation Dr T also advised that Mr A would require an implant to replace a tooth which had previously been lost.
Work began in December 2005 and by January 2006 Mr A was already experiencing problems with how the braces were fitted to his teeth. The treatment continued however and in November 2009 Dr T screwed an implant fixture into Mr A’s jaw. Despite it being loose Dr T proceeded to place a crown on top less than just two weeks later. Only a few days later the crown fell off and Mr A swallowed it. A temporary crown was placed but Mr A was suffering from an awful taste in his mouth and very bad breath.
Recognising that there was something wrong, Dr T removed the implant screw from Mr A’s jaw and covered the gap in his teeth by attaching a crown to the tooth next to it.
By April 2010, Mr A was concerned about the failed implant and worried that the orthodontic treatment was lasting much longer than anticipated so decided to visit another dentist for a second opinion. It was then confirmed that the orthodontic treatment was unsatisfactory and incomplete, and that the failed implant had permanently damaged the bone at the site.
As a result of Dr T’s failings, Mr A will have to have the orthodontic treatment completed and will require a bone graft and replacement implants at the site where the implant failed, and at the two teeth next to it.
While Dr T admitted breach of duty in respect of the implant placement she denied liability for her failings in respect of the orthodontic treatment given, but Mr A was successful in bringing a dental negligence claim against her with the Dental Law Partnership.