"For several years I suffered pain" - Waterlooville man awarded £7,000 in compensation after tooth decay went undiagnosed at mydentist

Kevin Brookes, 51, a Home Office employee, was awarded £7,000 in an out of court settlement after receiving treatment at mydentist in Chichester Road, Copnor. He was a patient there between 2010 and 2013 where the tooth decay caused difficulty eating, infections, facial swelling, and a loss of confidence.

Kevin said: “Over the last 13 years, I’ve experienced several issues which were flagged at each appointment, such as toothaches, broken teeth and broken fillings - there just always seemed to be a problem.

“It all started from a really bad toothache which came from a previous root canal they performed. In that instance, you phone your dentist thinking they’d look to bring you in immediately and help, but they were unwilling to see me when I needed them most. There is nothing worse than being left in tooth pain.”

The issues resulted in “several years of pain” for Kevin, including discomfort and repeated infections, so much so, that he considered signing of sick from work.

He said: “Due to these ongoing problems, I had to undergo tooth extractions. I was absolutely horrified when I learnt that I needed tooth extractions, there was a real sense of bewilderment as to how this had happened.

“Due to the severe pain and discomfort from the infections, root canal and extractions, I also couldn’t eat properly and it really affected my daily life.”

In December 2022 he decided to take action and contacted the Dental Law Partnership. The specialist law firm claimed that analysis of his dental records showed that multiple dentists at the practice had failed to diagnose and treat decay in five teeth over a decade.

Tim Armitage of the Dental Law Partnership said: “The distress and pain our client has experienced was completely unnecessary. If the dentists involved had provided more satisfactory treatment, his problems could have been avoided.”

The case was settled out of court in January 2025 with First Choice Dental Limited, who operate mydentist, not admitting any liability.

A spokesperson for mydentist said: “Providing the highest quality of dental care to our patients is our first priority and we deeply regret that, on this rare occasion, it fell below our expectations.”

Kevin still requires extensive restorative treatment in the future and may still lose an additional tooth. Kevin said: “Despite the torrid time I’ve had over the last decade, I am delighted to no longer be experiencing any pain. However, this process has not ended and it continues to affect my confidence.

“I still need treatment, including root canal work and implants, to eventually fix the damage that has been done, as well as potentially another extraction. This will affect me for the rest of my life.

“Although I hold no anger toward the practice, it’s hard having to smile in the mirror and looking back only to see a huge gappy smile. The way I was treated is incredibly odd, and it’s frustrating they were able to get away with such contempt for my oral health.”

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