One student was left “horrified” and in pain when his teeth started falling out after getting braces.
Kai Orley, 18, spent three and a half years going back and forth to his dentist without any improvement in his teeth.
The apprentice wind turbine engineer from Stockton first had an appointment to get braces when he was just ten, but says his five-year treatment became a “traumatic” nightmare.
“My front four teeth gradually started coming out, which had never happened before,” Kai said.
Kai’s teeth started coming out after treatment started. (Image: PR)
“Mum and I raised concerns about the lack of improvement, but we were constantly told it would get better – we just needed more time.
“During 2018 and 2019, I attended appointments almost every month to have coils and tires fitted and adjusted, but my teeth didn’t seem to improve at all.”
Kai first visited Dr Andrew Zaranko at Belasis Dental Practice in Billingham, Teesside, in November 2016, when he said he was told no teeth would need to be removed to get his perfect smile.
Kai Orley. (Image: PR)
The then 12-year-old had braces fitted in early 2018 but was shocked when his front four teeth gradually started to fall out.
After nearly three and a half years, Kai’s mom made him an appointment with another dentist for a second opinion, where he was told that the teeth that Dr. Zaranko said would not need to be removed would in fact need to be removed.
Kai said: “We were told I needed two teeth – which Dr Zaranko had said we could go ahead without.
“I had the teeth extracted and a new set of braces fitted by the new dentist and my teeth started to improve. I finally got my braces off in April 2022, aged 16, more than five years after starting my original treatment.
“It was an extremely frustrating and traumatic experience that greatly affected my mental health and nutrition during high school.
“I was constantly worried about my teeth and found it very difficult to eat lunch at school for a while as I was in so much discomfort.
“I am horrified to think that this dentist could be treating other patients incorrectly.”
The family brought in lawyers who found a “number of dental mistakes” that left Kai suffering throughout school.
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He won an out-of-court settlement of £11,000. Dr Zaranko did not admit responsibility.
Heather Owen from the Dental Law Partnership said: “The prolonged period of anguish, pain and suffering our client experienced at such a young age was unnecessary.
“Had the dentist involved provided the correct orthodontic treatment from the start, then our client’s treatment would have been completed sooner and the problems could have been significantly reduced.”
