£50,000 settlement for dental negligence Claim

In around 2021, our client complained to her dentist that her front tooth was painful and loose. The client was advised that she would lose all of her teeth and nothing could be done as she had not attended the hygienist.

The client was not happy with this response and sought a second opinion, where she was informed that she had periodontal disease and this should have been diagnosed earlier. It was explained to the client, that the disease could have been stabilised. This was shocking for the client to hear, as whilst she was under the care of her dentist, he had only advised her he had gingivitis. Her dentists had encouraged her to attend the hygienist but at the time, this was not something our client could afford and the dentist should have provided treatment under the NHS.

Unfortunately, for our client she was advised that the prognosis for all of her teeth was terminal and she later underwent extraction of all her teeth. The client was later provided with a denture, which she disliked and longed to have dental implants

The impact of losing all her teeth cannot be overstated. It affected not only her physical appearance but also her self-esteem and confidence. Imagine the emotional toll of suddenly facing the world without a vital part of one’s smile.

“The realisation of losing all of my teeth at 41 and having to have dentures made me think that it was unfair. My nan has all her teeth at 80 and I have attended the dentist all my life and I trusted and believed the Defendant as he was my childhood family dentist.”

The loss of teeth caused our client to change her speaking pattern to prevent people seeing her teeth and this meant she spoke with a lisp. This made our client, feel very self-conscious and concerned about what people would think, that she had no teeth. Our client was unable to socialise with friends and suffered pain, whilst her teeth were still present. Following the dentures, these were difficult to get used too and caused sores. The expenditure in restoring her teeth with dentures, meant that our client was unable to plan for her wedding and her wedding plans had to be postponed. Our client also suffered an adjustment disorder which presented as excessive worrying, recurring and distressing thoughts relating to her appearance and constant rumination about the implications of her dental predicament. Our client also had to leave a job she loved as she was unable to tolerate her dentures for long shifts and was unable to continue working from home.

The Defendant sought to blame our client for non-compliance and other reasons. The Defendant first made an offer of £10,000, which then increased to £35,000 and then settled for £50,000. Fortunately, for our client, we did not have to issue court proceedings and we managed to achieve a great settlement for her, to enable her to undergo her future treatment.

Our client was very relieved and happy that she could look to the future and plan her wedding and arrange restorative treatment.

“Thank you so much although words just can’t describe how grateful I am for you and your team”

Samantha Swaby added:

“I am grateful for the opportunity to assist a client in securing damages and aiding in rebuilding her life. It is a privilege to be able to make a positive impact and provide support during challenging times.”