A postman who lost his front teeth after dentists missed his gum disease has won a £12,000 payout.
Clifford Shaw has been a patient at two MyDentist branches in his hometown of Barnoldswick since 2007. He has lost several teeth, including his two front teeth, and wears dentures after dentists failed to treat his gum disease and missed signs of tooth decay.
The 65-year-old had difficulty eating so the disease remained undiagnosed and was also “very self-conscious”. He now wears dentures and will need further extensive restorative treatment.
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Clifford was a patient at MyDentist in Park Avenue between 2007 and 2010 and then a patient at MyDentist in Harrisons Street from 2010 onwards. These are owned and operated by Whitecross Dental Care Limited.
“For many years I had many dentists in the practice, as professionals left year after year,” Clifford recalls. “During those years I was losing a lot of teeth, but no reason was given. The dentists didn’t get it as I kept having new people check my teeth.
“The dentists would just fill my teeth and, when that didn’t work to relieve the pain, they would take them out. Once a dentist even filled a tooth when it was cracked.
“They never gave a reason why they pulled the teeth, they just said there was nothing else they could do about it. Only once did a dentist try to save a tooth. I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t know where to turn.
“After years of this pain and suffering, I lost teeth, and I’m going to lose more. There were gaps in my teeth even right at the front of my mouth. It made me look like a grumpy old man and it was also hard to eat with so many holes in my mouth where food would be trapped.’
In 2022, Clifford contacted specialist dental malpractice lawyers at the Dental Law Partnership after becoming frustrated with his dental experiences. Further analysis showed the extent of poor dental treatment, including the extent of his gum disease as it had progressed without treatment, and dentists failed to diagnose cavities in several teeth.
“Now I have dentures, including my two front teeth. It makes me feel dead. It’s embarrassing and expensive,” Clifford added. “I still struggle to eat and drink with dentures as when I chew they press on my nerves.
“I’m still not used to wearing them, but I wouldn’t go without them as I’m so self-conscious around people with gaps in my teeth. I don’t smile as much anymore and hold my hand over my mouth when I speak. If I don’t have them, it is frustrating that the dentists did not inform me about their plan, I have had so many different dentists and it ultimately led to inadequate treatment.
“Also, you don’t have anyone to turn to and help check your teeth or see if things are going right, like the hospital. You can’t get feedback from anywhere other than your practice, and if you leave practice, it’s difficult to acquire NHS appointment elsewhere.
“I’m still going through extensive rehabilitation now. Despite the dentures, the condition of my teeth is still very bad. I’m just still trying to keep the teeth I have, but I know more tooth loss will continue.”
Clifford’s case was settled in June 2024 and £11,800 was paid out of court by dentists. Dr Joanna Grabowska, Dr Bogdan Banica, Dr Muhammed Zakaria Muazzamali Essa, Dr Eva Sdlarova and Dr Mumeeb Hussain Chowdury pleaded not guilty. All patients who believe they may have received negligent dental care should visit Dental Legislation Website.
Tim Armitage of the Dental Law Partnership commented: “The anguish and pain our client experienced was completely unnecessary. If the treating dentists involved had provided more satisfactory treatment, his problems could have been avoided.”
A spokesperson for MyDentist said: “We would like to apologize for the experience Mr. Shaw. “Ensuring patients receive the highest quality dental care is our number one priority and we are disappointed that on this rare occasion it fell short of our expectations.”
