Patient Vigilance Urged After £8.5k Settlement for Dental Negligence

Key Takeaways

• A 54-year-old woman suffered a fractured jaw, severe hemorrhage, and ICU admission following a routine tooth extraction.
• The dental practice involved settled for £8,500 without admitting liability.
• Saira Malik advocates for patient vigilance and second opinions after enduring lasting physical and emotional trauma.
• The case highlights concerns about delayed diagnoses and standards of care in dental practice.

Traumatic Extraction Leads to Hospitalization

UK: Saira Malik, a civil servant from Surbiton, London, described a harrowing dental experience that left her hospitalized for six days. During a September 2019 extraction of an upper left molar, she recalled hearing a “click” noise as clinicians struggled to remove the tooth. “Buckets of blood” poured from her mouth and nose, leading to a hemorrhage that caused her to pass out. “All you could see was just blood and blood and blood… it was continuous buckets of blood, gushing through,” she told The Mirror.

Rushed to intensive care, Saira learned her jaw had been fractured and a large bone fragment removed during the procedure. She required surgery to address the damage and spent months consuming liquids through a straw due to limited jaw mobility. “I was on machines to stop the bleeding,” she said, adding that the trauma left her “still unable to walk into a dentist” years later.

Delayed Diagnosis and Escalating Pain

Saira’s ordeal began in 2016 when she first reported pain in her upper right tooth. Despite multiple visits to the same dental practice, she was assured there was no decay. By 2018, the pain became “unbearable,” and an X-ray revealed severe decay requiring extraction. A subsequent emergency extraction at another practice in March 2019 appeared successful, but a broken tooth detected months later led her back to the original clinic.

In August 2019, clinicians diagnosed decay in her upper left molar, scheduling another extraction. Saira, given Valium to calm her nerves, described the procedure as “traumatising.” She later discovered untreated decay in her initial X-rays, stating, “You’re left to it and then all of a sudden… they say, ‘Oh, by the way, it’s too late.’”

Legal Resolution and Practice Response

In May 2024, Saira received an £8,500 settlement from the practice via the Dental Law Partnership, though no liability was admitted. The practice issued a statement emphasizing their commitment to “the highest standards of treatment and care” but declined to comment on specifics due to patient confidentiality.

Saira used part of the settlement for a family trip to Egypt, aiming to “create happy memories” for her grandson’s first birthday. However, she remains haunted by the experience, urging others to “question professionals” and seek second opinions. “I don’t want anybody else to go through this,” she emphasized.

Advocacy for Patient Vigilance

Saira’s case underscores the importance of proactive healthcare decisions. She criticized delays in diagnosing her decay, which progressed to necessitate extractions. Her advocacy now centers on empowering patients to trust their instincts. “Take a second opinion if you need to be 100 percent sure,” she advised, reflecting on her five-year journey toward recovery.

The incident also raises broader questions about dental accountability, as the practice maintained its stance on quality care despite the settlement. Saira’s story serves as a cautionary tale about the potential consequences of overlooked symptoms and the enduring impact of medical trauma.

All information sourced from The Mirror.