09 November 2023 , 15:08
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A nurse has won £10,000 after she had to spend thousands fixing a 'botched' dental treatment that left her in terrible pain.
Susan Jenkins won her case against her dentist who over-drilled her teeth, causing her to need multiple unnecessary root canal treatments and tooth extraction. The 58 year old went to Pennwood Dental Practice in Wolverhampton for treatment on her existing veneers in 2017, but things took a turn for the worse when her dentist, Dr Pannell, suggested she get crowns instead.
This needless treatment resulted in pain and swelling in her mouth, leaving her in constant discomfort for years. After returning to the dentist to fix the issue, and spending thousands of pounds seeking treatment elsewhere, Mrs Jenkins reached out to the Dental Law Partnership in 2019 in pursuit of 'justice'. The case was successfully settled in July 2023 when Mrs Jenkins, from Henley-in-Arden in Warwickshire, was awarded £10,000 in an out of court settlement - although Dr Pannell did not admit fault.
The dental treatment caused extreme pain, Susan said (Birmingham Live WS)Mrs Jenkins shared her dental woes, saying: "I've had veneers on my upper right and upper left teeth for a long time. However, in 2017 they started coming loose. I asked my dentist for advice and he suggested crowns instead of veneers. In 2018, he prepared my teeth and fitted the crowns, however less than a month later I was suffering from swelling and inflammation in my mouth".
She went on to say: "I returned a month later for an X-ray taken because my tooth was tender to touch and sensitive to cold air. I was in excruciating pain, couldn't sleep all night, and had difficulty drinking hot beverages. My palate was sore, and I had a fever. My teeth were also catching on my lower lip at night when I was sleeping, due to the crowns being longer in length than my old veneers."
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Despite repeated visits to the dentist, Mrs Jenkins' pain persisted. "I suffered from repeat infection on that tooth and abscesses," she explained. "The dentist re-did my root canal but I still felt like something wasn't right. While I was away on holiday my daughter-in-law said I couldn't keep on like this."
After spending thousands on treatment, Mrs Jenkins is still dealing with the aftermath. She revealed: "I opted for a repeat root canal and an extraction with a denture to replace it which I hated. I ended up with a crown with a bridge but in the future I will have to pay a lot for an implant."
Mrs Jenkins reached out to the Dental Law Partnership, seeking 'justice.' She shared: "The experience dragged me down and I was so depressed. The clinic I was referred to was 40 miles away which was a struggle to get to, and I had to have six weeks off work in total because mentally and physically I was declining."
"I work as a nurse on the cardiac catheter unit and need to be really responsible in emergency situations but I couldn't think straight due to my low mood, disturbed sleep and pain. I struggled to cope with everyday activities and social events and my confidence was really impacted. I now feel incredibly let down by my old dentist and have a lot of anxiety and paranoia about the slightest dental issue."
Justine Jones from the Dental Law Partnership said: "The distress and pain our client has experienced was completely unnecessary. If the dentist involved had undertaken adequate examinations, and provided more appropriate treatment, much of the extensive remedial treatment Mrs Jenkins has had to undergo could have been avoided."
Dr Pannell responded: "I always strive to provide the very best care for all patients. I cannot provide details of the treatment and management because of my professional duty to protect the confidentiality of my patients. However, I am pleased that the matter has been brought to a satisfactory conclusion and that all parties can now move on."
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