A nurse was awarded £10,000 in compensation after she was forced to spend her own money to correct a ‘botched’ dental treatment that left her in ‘excruciating pain’.
Susan Jenkins, 58, from Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, successfully sued her dentist who over-drilled her teeth, leading to avoidable root canal treatments and tooth extraction.
Her experience at the dentist, Mrs Jenkins said, has caused her ‘anxiety and paranoia about the slightest dental issue’.
She took six weeks off work as a result of the poor treatment and ‘couldn’t think straight’ as a result of disturbed sleep and pain during her ordeal.
Mrs Jenkins sought treatment at Pennwood Dental Practice, in Wolverhampton, on her existing veneers in 2017. Her dentist, Dr Pannell, instead recommended crowns.
Susan Jenkins said the treatment left her in ‘constant pain’ for years.
Less than a month later after the fixture, Mrs Jenkins suffered from ‘swelling and inflamation’ in her mouth.
She requested an X-ray because her teeth were ‘tender to touch’ and sensitive to cold air.
The treatment left her with pain and swelling in her mouth, leaving her in ‘constant pain’ for years.
She said: ‘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.’
After going back to the dentist to correct the problem, three months later Mrs Jenkins was still in pain.
‘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.’
Mrs Jenkins was referred to an endodontic specialist and ended up spending thousands of pounds trying to reverse the damage caused.
She opted for a repeat root canal and an extraction with a denture to replace the crowns.
Susan Jenkins, 58, said she ‘struggled to cope’ with everyday activities and social events
‘I ended up with a crown with a bridge but in the future I will have to pay a lot for an implant,’ she added.
Mrs Jenkins contacted the Dental Law Partnership in 2019 in search of ‘justice’.
She successfully settled in July 2023 and was paid £10,000 in an out of court settlement. Dr Pannell did not admit liability.
Reflecting on the surgery, she said: ‘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 of the Dental Law Partnership commented: ‘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.’
