A Bristol man who "avoids smiling" after a failed dental procedure has been awarded £11,000 in compensation.
Rik Gabler secured the pay-out after a dentist improperly fitted dental implants, which his lawyer said resulted in tooth loss, ongoing pain and a metal taste in his mouth.
The 52-year-old company director said: “It’s really taken its toll on me mentally - the past year in particular has been horrendous with all these Zoom calls, I avoid smiling altogether.
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“It’s not just mentally. I still am in a lot of pain - with two implants left in my jaw, I get a horrible metal taste in my mouth.
“Eating is also a real struggle, I can only chew on one side of my mouth because of the pain, which has meant I’ve had muscle wastage on one side of my mouth, something I never even thought about before."
Mr Gabler said he visited Dr Margarita Sanz at Finest Dental, in London, between 2018 and 2019.
He said: “I needed dental implants so I made an appointment with Dr Sanz.
“She told me the implants would be placed over six months or so, and initially after the first appointment I was happy.”
However, when Mr Gabler went back to the dental practice, he saw a different dentist.
“I went back for a check-up and saw a different dentist,” Mr Gabler said.
“The dentist took one look at my implants – the fitting of which had not yet been completed – and made it clear there were numerous issues with them, including that one hadn't been set properly.”
He said he is seeking corrective treatment to get his dental work fixed, which he predicted will come at "great expense".
He sought help from the Dental Law Partnership, which describes itself as "specialist dental negligence solicitors", in 2019.
The case was settled this year and the firm has now released a statement about the successful claim, seen by Bristol Live.
The statement read: "The dentist paid £11,000 in an out of court settlement. The dentist did not admit liability."
It added that analysis of Mr Gabler's dental records revealed that the dentist had "failed to use reasonable skill and care when planning for and placing Mr Galber’s implants".
"As a result he will need to undergo future treatment including bone grafting and implant replacement", it continued.
Rob Pettitt, of the Dental Law Partnership, said: “The distress and pain our client has experienced was completely unnecessary.
“If the dentist had carried out adequate treatment in the first place, his problems could have been avoided.”
Finest Dental were a chain of dental practices which ceased trading in February 2020.
The chain and Dr Margarita C.Sanz have been approached for comment.
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