A Canterbury woman has received a £10,000 settlement after her jaw was broken during a tooth extraction.
Emily Starling got her tooth pulled at an east Kent dental practice in May 2021.
The 53-year-old said the tooth refused to budge during the procedure, and after a long time in the chair, she heard an "almighty crack".
The dentist, who cannot be named for legal reasons, then informed her that her jaw had been fractured.
The incident led to a series of complications for Ms Starling, including infections and sinus problems.
She eventually underwent surgery in October 2021 to remove the tooth and fractured bone. While the procedure addressed the immediate physical issues, she said she remains "paranoid" about her teeth and appearance.
Her case was handled by the Dental Law Partnership, specialist dental negligence solicitors.
The case was settled in December 2024 with a £10,000 payment, although the dentist involved did not admit liability.
“I feel the effects of the dentist’s actions to this day, and I have to mentally get used to experiencing these challenges for the rest of my life,” Ms Starling said.
“My facial structure has changed with the left side of my mouth slanted, with the lip drooping.
“People say my face looks like I had a stroke.
“I hate that it feels like these symptoms will never go away.”
Following the procedure, Ms Starling said the dentist placed a composite splint in her mouth for the fracture, which was to remain for four to six weeks.
However, it did not last, as the splint debonded a couple of times and once got stuck in her throat.
At one point, she said, a fragment of bone from her jaw came out in her hand.
“I could feel it on my tongue, so I put my fingers in my mouth and I pulled jaw bone out of my mouth and it was in my hand.”
Ms Starling said she called the dental practice several times about these complications, but she was made to feel like a “nuisance”.
“I’ve never experienced such horrendous and appalling care,” she said.
“Throughout the whole ordeal, the dentist was so unsupportive and made me feel alone.”
Over the next couple of months, her mental health deteriorated, leading her to have therapy.
She said she was in constant pain as the left side of her mouth was throbbing, she developed cysts, which caused pus to drip into her throat, and she felt heavy pressure in her head when bending.
“I literally did not sleep, I couldn’t put my face on the pillow,” she said.
“I was starving as well, I literally was just eating soup.
“I thought I was never going to be able to open my mouth ever again.”
After visiting her GP, she underwent hospital treatment in October 2021 to remove the tooth and fractured bone under general anaesthetic at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.
Ms Starling said she hopes that, by sharing her story, this does not happen to anyone else and that dentists will consider stopping an extraction if they are not able to remove a tooth within 15 minutes.
The dental practice and dentist have been contacted but declined to comment.
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