Patient successfully sues Bury dentist for £22,000 after treatment leaves her with chronic gum disease

A Bury woman has been awarded £22,000 in compensation after dental treatment led to chronic gum disease and tooth extractions.

Heidi Hofbauer, aged 52, successfully sued Dr David Broman from The Dental Practice in Knowsley Street after his failure to treat her gum disease led to bone loss, recurrent bouts of infection and the removal of three teeth.

She says she will also need to have six other teeth extracted in the future.

Mrs Hofbauer said she went to see Dr Broman in 2004 because a filling in a lower right tooth was chipped. He fixed the filling and later fitted a crown.

She returned that July with tenderness in the same tooth and was prescribed antibiotics.

“The antibiotics worked for a while but the pain would return more severe than before,” said Mrs Hofbauer.

Mrs Hofbauer went back to Dr Broman for regular check-ups between 2005 and 2008 and was prescribed antibiotics for further tooth infections.

She continued: “Dr Broman eventually told me the tooth he had treated in 2004 now needed to be extracted, which he did in October 2008. I had two more teeth removed on his advice in April and May 2009.”

The Dental Law Partnership (DLP) took on her case, and solicitor Heather Williams said: “Dr Broman failed to treat Heidi for the early signs of gum disease, which then led to severe consequences.”

Dr Broman, who did not admit liability said: “I am disappointed that the treatment fell short of what the patient expected on this occasion and I hope the settlement goes some way to resolving the matter.

“Although I will not comment publicly about individual cases due to patient confidentiality, I always strive to provide the best standard of care for all my patients.”

This article is courtesy from the Bury Times.