27 February 2024 , 12:38
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A student is getting an £11,000 payout after a dentist gave him braces which left him with sticking out teeth.
Kai Orley, 18, suffered three-and-a-half years of dental work which failed to improve his smile. The apprentice wind turbine engineer had his first appointment when he was aged ten and says his years of treatment became a "traumatic" nightmare. Kai, from Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, said: "My front four teeth gradually began to stick out, which had never been an issue before.
"It was an extremely frustrating and traumatic experience that affected my mental health and my diet a lot throughout secondary school. The retainers made me miserable as they were so painful and uncomfortable. I constantly felt anxious about my teeth and I found it really hard to eat lunch at school for a time as I was in so much discomfort."
Kai was treated by Dr Andrew Zaranko for orthodontic treatment at Belasis Dental Practice, in Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees. He says that between November 2016 and October 2020 he noticed his front teeth sticking out but was told the braces needed more time to work. Kai said: "I first visited Dr Zaranko in Year 6 of primary school to discuss orthodontic work when I was ten years old.
Kai Orley's teeth still protruding after 2.4 years of treatment (Dental Law Partnership/SWNS)"Tooth extractions were discussed, but Dr Zaranko thought I could proceed without them, and we started the orthodontic work properly in April 2017 when I was 11, and then in January 2018 I had a fixed brace installed. Throughout 2018 and 2019, I attended appointments nearly every month to have coils and elastics fitted and adjusted, but it didn't seem like my teeth had got any better at all.
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"My front four teeth gradually began to stick out, which had never been an issue before. Mum and I raised concerns about the lack of improvement but were constantly told by Dr Zaranko that it would get better - we just needed more time." In November 2020, concerned that the treatment had not made any progress, Kai's mum got in touch with another dentist for a second opinion.
Kai said: "At the new practice, we were told that I needed two teeth extracted - which is what Dr Zaranko had said we could proceed without doing. I had the teeth extracted and a new set of braces fitted by the new dentist, and my teeth began to improve. I finally had my braces taken off in April 2022, aged 16, more than five years after my initial treatment started.
Kai Orley while in Year 8 at school (Dental Law Partnership/SWNS)"I'm horrified when I think that this dentist could still be treating other patients incorrectly too." Kai contacted medical negligence lawyers at the Dental Law Partnership who took on his case. Last November he received an £11,000 out of court settlement from the dentist who did not accept liability.
Heather Owen, of the Dental Law Partnership, said: "The extended period of distress, pain and inconvenience our client has experienced at such a young age was unnecessary. If the dentist involved had provided the correct orthodontic treatment at the outset, then our client's treatment would have been completed sooner and problems could have been significantly lessened."