A WOMAN has won £26,000 after being left unable to chew solid foods – potentially for the rest of her life.
Judith Sinclair claims dentists pulled eight of her teeth out unnecessarily, and she faces losing five more.
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The 67-year-old now can’t eat normally, is “extremely self-conscious” and refuses to smile fully in photos ever again.
Judith said: “I used to be fine about going to the dentist but now I’m so afraid about what they’ll say or do.
“I’m constantly anxious about the state of my teeth. I’m extremely self-conscious and don’t want to smile in photos anymore, which is so frustrating as I used to be such a smiley person.
“I’m now left with no back teeth to chew on, as I’ve got an upper denture but nothing at the bottom.
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“It’s so embarrassing that I can’t eat properly so I avoid going out to eat with friends.
“And I fear that sticking to soft foods and not chewing fully is upsetting my digestive system too.”
Over 12 years, the business support worker from Emsworth, Hampshire, consistently battled decay and gum disease which allegedly wasn’t managed or treated effectively by six dentists at two practices.
Judith was first a patient at Basin Road Dental Surgery in Chichester, West Sussex, from 2002 to 2013.
“Over the course of the years there, I suffered constant issues with decay, periodontal bone loss, pain and bleeding gums, but they failed to treat them effectively so the state of my mouth deteriorated,” she said.
“From 2004 to 2011 I had multiple treatments, including root canals, crowns, fillings, and an extraction, but the problems kept continuing.
“In 2012, when I was in further pain, I was treated by another dentist who extracted three further teeth over a year.
“I had an uneasy feeling after a while that what the dentists kept telling me over the years just wasn’t right.
“They weren’t doing anything to save my teeth, they just kept removing them.”
As she no longer trusted the practice, Judith moved to Genix Healthcare Dental Clinic in Havant, Hampshire – but things reportedly only got worse.
The distress and pain experienced was completely unnecessary
Stephanie Neden-King
“I had three teeth extracted in the space of three months,” she said.
“I was still in pain in 2017 and another dentist extracted the eighth tooth and did a root canal on another, which didn’t go right.
“While he said everything went to plan, I was still in so much pain.
“Things had gone wrong for such a long time but I trusted the professionals who were meant to be giving the best advice.
“However, in my gut I knew things weren’t right.
“I eventually got my teeth sorted with a specialist who helped rectify the issues, including the gum bleeding.”
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After taking legal action, Judith was paid £26,000.
Analysis by the Dental Law Partnership (DLP) found “poor periodontal management”, as well as “poor root canal and crown provisions”.
Senior solicitor Stephanie Neden-King said: “The poor treatment resulted in the loss of eight teeth and future loss of five teeth, all of which could have been avoided.
“The distress and pain our client has experienced was completely unnecessary.
“If the dentists involved had provided more satisfactory treatment, her problems could have been avoided.”
Judith’s first case against one dentist was settled for £6,000 in 2021, followed by the other five dentists in April 2024, when she was paid £20,000 in out-of-court settlements.
None of the dentists admitted liability.
A spokesperson for Dental Protection, which is assisting Basin Road Dental Surgery with this case, said: “We would like to make it clear that we do not agree with the facts as they have been conveyed by the Dental Law Partnership, but cannot provide details of this patient’s treatment and management because of our professional duty to protect the confidentiality of our patients.
“This claim was resolved by way of an out-of-court settlement, with no admission of liability.
“We take pride in providing the highest standards of treatment and care to all of our patients, and we have only ever done what was best for this patient.”
Other huge dental disasters
- Havanna Palmer, 22, won £30,000 after her dentist ignored clear signs of tooth decay, leaving her with dreadful breath and needing invasive treatment for the rest of her life.
- Lucy Bodycote, 44, was awarded £15,000 after the anaesthetic failed as her dentist pulled out one of her teeth.
- Katie Granger, 38, was left with no feeling in half her lip or chin after a routine trip to the dentist. She received £45,000 in compensation.
- Lauren Field, 21, received £10,000 after a series of dental blunders left her with teeth like a shark.
- Anastasia Zimina, 25, got £70,000 in compensation after having 22 healthy teeth removed for seemingly no reason.
- Toby Parker, 18, scooped £10,000 after a dentist left him unable to eat ice cream.
- Claire Shorrock was left permanently disfigured after a “disastrous” routine dentist appointment during which her mouth filled with bleach. She won £14,500.
