Patient wins £7k settlement for Gossops Green dentist's negligence

A patient has been awarded £7,000 in an out-of-court settlement against her dentist, with her case of misaligned teeth called the "most severe" ever seen by a specialist.

Heather Turner sued Dr William Clinton, from The Dental Surgery on Gossops Drive, Gossops Green, after he failed to refer her for corrective orthodontic treatment and to address her gum disease.

Ms Turner, from Ifield, said: "I had an accident as a child and this pushed my teeth back into my mouth. At the time I was told my teeth needed time to settle as I was only young, but as I got older and into my teens I wanted something done as I became more embarrassed about my teeth.

"I was advised by Dr Clinton that this wasn't an option. He said I was not entitled to NHS care as I was over 18.

"I had no reason to query this information and did not think there was any danger to my health as my regular six-month check-ups carried on as normal."

However, Ms Turner, 48, started to experience severe bleeding of the gum, especially when she ate.

"It was horrible," she added.

"My gums would bleed so severely, that when I ate a sandwich it would be covered in blood. It was even worse when I went for my check-ups and Mr Clinton would floss and clean my teeth.

"I would have to be wiped down as there was so much blood on my face."

She was only seen by a specialist after she was referred by her GP when, out of the blue, her jaw went into severe spasm – and he immediately realised something was drastically wrong.

Ms Turner said: "He told me this was the most severe case of misaligned teeth he had ever seen. My top teeth were actually digging into my lower gums, causing the bleeding.

"He also indicated that due to the severity of the condition I would have been entitled to NHS care regardless of my age."

Ms Turner was immediately booked in to have her wisdom teeth removed and it took five years to put everything right.

After the initial tooth extraction and bone graft, Ms Turner underwent an intensive course of gum disease treatment to make sure she did not suffer any tooth or bone loss.

She then had to wear braces for two years before undergoing surgery which moved her jaw by eight millimetres to align her teeth, and then had a further year of wearing braces.

Jonathan Owen, Heather's lawyer from the Dental Law Partnership, said: "The delay in referring Heather for specialist treatment has not only resulted in a substantial expense, but a prolonged period of discomfort and misery which was completely avoidable.

"If she had been referred when needed it could have been a simple process to correct her issues."

Dr Clinton did not admit any liability.

In a statement, he said: "I am pleased this case has now been resolved and a settlement has been reached.

"I hope this will go some way towards compensating for the pain and distress the patient has experienced.

"I have always striven to provide the best care for my patients and I am sorry that this has happened."

Last September the News reported on a separate out-of-court settlement for a former patient of Dr Clinton.

Mike Watts, from Maidenbower, was awarded £17,500 due to the extensive tooth decay he had suffered.

This article is courtesy of This is Sussex.