Once she became aware that the treatment may have been substandard, Robin consulted our experts in dental negligence claims to see if she was able to claim compensation. Not long after we began investigating the care Robin had received, it became clear that there were significant breaches of duty from both dentists involved. Experts instructed on the claim noted that the standard of x-rays was unacceptable, root canal treatments had been done without use of a rubber dam and the restorations were very poorly fitted.
Overall, Robin had undergone extensive treatment with the two dentists including 43 crowns, 26 root canal treatments and four veneers. Much of this treatment had been unsuitable for Robin and she was unnecessarily subjected to procedures that she had not consented to. What’s worse, it was found that both dentists had failed to diagnose caries and acid erosion on multiple teeth and these issues had been left untreated despite the regular treatment Robin was receiving.
Ultimately, as part of the claim we ended up making 97 allegations of negligence on Robin’s behalf, reflecting the sheer volume of negligent treatment to which she was subjected.
As a result of the two dentists’ negligence, Robin’s dentition was irreversibly damaged. She lost 19 teeth and will have to continue to endure replacement restorations for the rest of her life.
We made a claim for damages for the injuries and psychological distress she had suffered, and the costs of past and future treatment required. The majority of the allegations of breach of duty and causation were denied by the defendants, even seeking to blame Robin for the condition of her teeth in part due to an eating disorder she had suffered. Two years after Robin began the process of making a claim, we commenced court proceedings against them and they continued to robustly defend the claim.
We pushed back against the defendant dentists’ arguments and made it clear that Robin could not have known that her eating disorder would cause damage to her teeth, her oral hygiene was fine and she always attended for treatment.
