A woman whose cosmetic dentist failed to diagnose chronic gum disease has won £13,500 in damages after she was forced to remortgage her house to pay for remedial treatment.
Amanda Farrall, 47, was treated by a private cosmetic dentist, Oluwashe Olojugba. She had originally gone to him in 1993 when he treated a blood blister which had developed beneath one of her crowns. She later had a full set of crowns fitted by Mr Olojugba and at first the treatment seemed to have gone smoothly.
Some time later, however, Mrs Farrall felt her teeth coming loose. She returned to the dentist, who told her that her teeth were fine as long as there was no pain. By 2001 she was still worried about her loose teeth so Mr Olojugba recommended fitting a bridge.
In 2004, a piece of the bridge fell off and Mrs Farrall decided to get a second opinion. She visited another cosmetic dentist who removed the bridge to check the condition of her teeth. He was shocked by what he found underneath. Mrs Farrall had actually been suffering from severe gum disease for about ten years, which Mr Olojugba had failed to diagnose.
Mrs Farrall contacted her former dentist again and tried to obtain her dental records but Mr Olojugba initially failed to provide them. Mrs Farrall then contacted the General Dentistry Council and, following an investigation, Mr Olojugba was found guilty of serious professional misconduct.
Mrs Farrall won £13,500 in an out of court settlement as compensation for the cost of the treatment.
Bad experiences at the hands of medical practitioners often lead to complaints to their professional bodies. If such a complaint is upheld, an offer of an out of court settlement normally follows.
