Man told to leave dentist 'because he was too fat for the chair'

13 May 2023 , 08:25

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David Bottomley said he was told by his dentist that he was too 'fat' to be seen and refused treatment (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

A man was left “insulted and upset” after he was turned away by a dentist after a five-month wait for being “too fat for the chair”.

David Bottomley, from Penderyn in Wales, said he was “gobsmacked” after he turned up for his appointment at the Dental Lounge in Glynneath only to be told to leave again.

Retired pub-landlord Mr Bottomley, 65, weighs 22 stone, and said he went to get two crowns replaced at the dental practice he had used for the past 10 years.

He said: “It took me two hours to get to the dentist because I have to get two buses from Penderyn to Glynneath. I sat down after getting there and began filling in an app about myself.

“About five minutes later while I was still filling it out she called me over and said: ‘Unfortunately sir you’re too big and our chairs will not be able to cope with your weight’.”

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Mr Bottomley became angry when he was refused treatment and staff told him not to return (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

Mr Bottomley’s angry response led to him being struck off the dentist’s list of patients, he said.

He told WalesOnline: “I found it insulting. I did become angry and I did raise my voice, but I wasn’t abusive and I didn’t swear, but the dentist came out and told me I needed to leave and I’d be struck off the list.

I thought: ‘Who do they think they are? Telling me I’m too fat and then removing me from their list.’ I did say I was angry, it was a shock to the system to be told something like that.

“Is it my problem that their chairs don’t work? I’ve been waiting for the appointment for a while because I had a problem with my two crowns. My crowns fell out after I’d been eating a pear.”

The dentist said they were only following health guidelines (Getty Images)

The dental practice insisted it acted in line with public safety guidelines, stating any patients over 20 stone need to be referred to a bariatric dentist service with a special chair that can take the weight.

But Mr Bottomley said his case should have been dealt with better and he is surprised that "in 2023 a dentist can't cater for people who are overweight".

Mr Bottomley is now worried he will not be able to find another practice to take him on (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

He said he wanted to warn others who may be waiting for treatment only to be told to leave once they arrive at the dentist.

“I wanted to share my story to say this is happening and it’s an insult. I also want to tell people to enquire with their dentist if they now have the same policy regarding weight of patients, because it’s wasted my time. I wish I’d have been told much earlier. It’s not like they didn’t know me. I’ve been this weight for 15 or 20 years and I’ve been going to the same dentist for 10 years.

“Yes I am slightly overweight and I have a heart condition, but surely all clientele deserve dental treatment. As I say, I got back home and I remained very annoyed by what had happened. I thought to myself: ‘No, I am going to be stubborn because I would like people to listen and understand.’”

Mr Bottomley said he wanted to warn others who might be waiting for treatment only to be turned away (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)

As well as feeling upset by what has happened, Mr Bottomley said he had become stressed by being removed from the practice list. “I know it takes a long time to get back onto a list after you’ve been removed and I am worried about that,” he said. “I need urgent dental care. I wasn’t rude to anyone and I really feel unfairly treated and sad by what has happened.”

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A spokesman for Glynneath Dental Lounge said: "While we cannot comment on Mr Bottomley's case in detail, we can offer assurances that we acted in line with agreed health and safety guidance.

"Chairs used to treat patients have weight limits, which means it would be unsafe to use them to provide dental care to any patient who is over this limit.

"Patients who are unable to be treated in standard dental chairs are then referred to the Swansea Bay community bariatric dental service which has a specialist chair available.

"We are sorry to hear that Mr Bottomley has raised these concerns, but we are more than happy to discuss it with him further if he would like to contact us directly."

Jonathon Hill