Damages of £3,000 recovered for negligent dental treatment

After our allegations of negligence were put to the Defendant, they responded with an offer to settle and after negotiations the matter settled for the sum of £3,000. An element of the damages was awarded for the future remedial treatment Mrs E required, namely the fitting of a mental denture.

Mrs E, a 48 year old lady attended at the Defendant surgery for the planned extraction and once again for root canal treatment, requiring sedation on both occasions. Upon coming around from the sedation after the root canal treatment she was in considerable pain and remained in pain for a number of days. When she went back to see the Defendant she was merely advised to keep taking painkillers.

Having a severe dental phobia and knowing she required a potential tooth extraction with further extensive dental work, Mrs E choose to consult a specialist dental clinic and sedation centre rather than undergo the procedure at her regular surgery.

With the pain not subsiding, she consulted with her regular dentist, who upon x-raying her mouth discovered that the end of a dental file had been left in the tooth. This had damaged the roots of the tooth, meaning there was no option but to extract the tooth.

Although she previously suffered anxiety in relation to dental treatment, this anxiety was exasperated by the treatment she received from the Defendant.

After our allegations of negligence were put to the Defendant, they responded with an offer to settle and after negotiations the matter settled for the sum of £3,000. An element of the damages was awarded for the future remedial treatment Mrs E required, namely the fitting of a mental denture.

This claim was funded by way of legal expenses insurance provided by NatWest.