Dentist to pay compensation to ex-patient

A Wigan orthodontist is to pay damages to a former patient who claims she suffered years of poor dental treatment.

Barry Rimmer, who owns Ashton Dental Practice in Ashton, has agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to Lindsey Kay, following an out-of-court settlement over claims of negligent treatment she received from him between 2002 and 2009.

The 22-year-old from Wigan went to see Dr Rimmer to have fixed appliances fitted to correct her teeth.

When the braces were removed, she was unhappy with the result, as she was left with a gap in her lower teeth and her front upper molars were no longer central.

Her left central incisor was in the middle, meaning all her teeth were out of alignment.

An implant was fitted in the gap and further retainers were fitted in an attempt to realign the front teeth.

But the retainers failed to correct the problem and her treatment was completed in 2009 - with the misalignment still not fixed.

She claims she suffered several years of substandard care from her dentist.

She found it particularly upsetting because this treatment took place throughout her secondary education, a challenging time for any teenager even without dental problems.

Miss Kay now faces several years of painful and complicated restorative treatment to correct the problem.

Nick Grant, a dental negligence special and partner at Devonshires Solicitors in London, said: “This was a clear case of negligent treatment and poor care provided to a vulnerable young girl. I am delighted that Devonshires was able to help Miss Kay and obtain sufficient compensation for her to allow her to undergo the various procedures now required to correct the problems caused by the negligence.

Miss Kay said she was pleased with the result.

She said: “I can now put the worries about my teeth behind me and get them sorted.

“I finally feel as though the dentist has admitted that he was wrong.”

Mr Rimmer failed to respond to our requests for a comment. This is not the first time Mr Rimmer’s professionalism has been questioned.

At a misconduct hearing in July 2010, the General Dental Council found Mr Rimmer guilty of allowing 15 youngsters to be injected with powerful sedatives and failing to inform parents about their risks.

But a watchdog last year cleared him of any wrongdoing and ruled his fitness to practice was not impaired.

Dr Rimmer qualified from Liverpool University in 1986 and he became an associate at Dr Chow’s Dental Practice Group in Liverpool until he opened his own practice in 1989.

He is also a member of The International Association for Orthodontics.

This article is courtesy of Wigan Today.