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A woman has been awarded £4,500 in compensation after claiming errors by a dentist left her unable to eat or drink properly.
Samantha Luxford says she had hot liquid pouring out of her nose three months after a tooth extraction.
The 45-year-old receptionist says she was left with a hole in her sinus and had to undergo two corrective surgeries.
She alleges her dentist, Dr Mihir Shah – who did not admit liability – had failed to fully remove the root of her upper left molar during a root canal procedure in 2018.
“I was experiencing pain in one of my teeth,” Ms Luxford explained. "I was actually referred to see a specialist at hospital but the pain was so bad I cancelled the appointment because I didn’t want to wait and went to see Dr Shah instead.
"I explained that I was supposed to see a specialist but he was adamant he could resolve the problem with root canal treatment."
The Dartford resident says she was nervous about the procedure but trusted all would go well.
“After about 45 minutes Dr Shah had prepared my tooth for the canal but this is when he found a fracture in the root," she said.
"He said he had no choice other than to extract the tooth, meaning more time in his chair and even more pain.”
After the extraction she returned to her work but continued to experience problems.
She struggled to eat and would drink coffee only to find it pouring out of her nose.
"I now know I was left with a hole in my sinus from when Dr Shah extracted the tooth in the first place,” Ms Luxford claimed.
"As a receptionist, this isn’t the view customers want to see when walking in, so I phoned the practice to see what could be done."
"I was terrified that I’d have to go through this whole ordeal again."
She went to see an out-of-hours dentist a few days later who stitched the socket and gave her antibiotics.
But unfortunately for Ms Luxford things did not get any better.
“I was still getting liquid pouring out of my nose, so three months later I finally went to see a new dentist,” she said.
The second dentist told Ms Luxford the entire root had not been extracted and there was still some left in her mouth which was too close to her sinus to safely remove.
"I was terrified that I’d have to go through this whole ordeal again," she added.
The receptionist was then referred to hospital where they placed her under general anaesthetic to safely remove the root.
Ms Luxford explained how the upcoming procedure affected her sleep with the worry creeping into all aspects of her life.
It was then she contacted the Dental Law Partnership which specialises in cases of alleged dental negligence.
They claimed analysis of her dental records revealed Dr Shah had failed to use reasonable care when attempting to remove the root of Ms Luxford’s tooth which led to the problems she experienced.
However, the dentist did not admit liability and paid £4,500 in an out-of-court settlement.
Dr Shah declined to comment on the case due to patient-client confidentiality rules.
The dental surgeon took over running of the practice, now known as Kreate Dental, just over three years ago.
It is yet to be inspected by the Care Quality Commission but holds a 4.8 rating out of five on TrustPilot and has several endorsements from satisfied customers.
"It is something I believed to be settled," Dr Shah said.
"All I can say is patient care is vital and is of the highest importance and we pride ourselves on the care we provide to our patients."
He added: "We are proud of the reputation we have and long may it continue."
Following the conclusion of the case, Ms Luxford said: “The whole ordeal I have been through has not only been painful but at times extremely embarrassing.
"Seeking a second opinion at the practice was the best thing I could have done.”
