Woman, 44, who was left having to drain her OWN swollen gum of pus and with ‘multiple rotting teeth’ after inadequate dental care wins £15,500 in legal settlement
- Lucy Bodycote, of Huncote, Leicestershire, was forced to drain her gum of pus
- But she claimed the treatment at The Avenue Dental Practice had long been bad
- She was awarded the pay out after solicitors found her treatment was sub-par
A woman who was left having to drain her own swollen gum of pus after inadequate dental care has won £15,500 in a legal settlement.
Lucy Bodycote, of Huncote, Leicestershire, suffered an infected tooth in March 2020 but could not see a dentist due to the Covid situation at the time.
After having to resort to draining pus from her swollen gum, the 44-year-old decided to go private.
Dentists there discovered several problems Ms Bodycote was not aware of, including ‘multiple rotting teeth ‘and a capped tooth that had been fitted incorrectly.
She contacted a solicitor to complain about the treatment received from The Avenue Dental Practice in Enderby — which disputes her story.
Ms Bodycote was later awarded the pay-out when it was determined that her issues could have been avoided had her treatment been adequate.
Lucy Bodycote, 44, from Huncote, was left having to drain her own swollen gum (pictured) of pus and with ‘multiple rotting teeth’ after botched dental care
She suffered from an infected tooth in March 2020 and due to the imminence of lockdown, could not see a dentist (Ms Bodycote pictured without intense swelling)
In March 2020, Ms Bodycote’s infected tooth caused her face to swell up.
She was prescribed antibiotics but, as the country was about to go into lockdown, she couldn’t be seen by a dentist.
With the threat of Covid making A&E the ‘last place’ she wanted to be at the time, Ms Bodycote instead opted for the ‘unpleasant’ task of draining the lump on her gum each day.
But she has claimed her problems at the practice, where she had been registered since 2004, began years earlier.
Ms Bodycote recalled a previous experience of receiving antibiotics for pain in one of her teeth, where the pain continued and she asked for the tooth to be removed.
She was given anaesthetic injections for the tooth extraction, however she claimed she could still feel everything and was not allowed to be given more.
She claimed to ‘remember leaving in floods of tears from the pain’ and alleged the practice failed to follow-up on her condition after the procedure.
Left frustrated at having to resort to DIY dentistry at the start of the pandemic, Ms Bodycote registered with a private dental practice — where she was informed of the multiple issues with her teeth.
After contacting the Dental Law Partnership about her treatment later in 2020, solicitors determined that had her original dental practice used ‘reasonable care and skill’, Ms Bodycote would not have experienced untreated decay in five different teeth, have had to have multiple root fillings, and experienced the loss of several teeth.
The Avenue did not accept liability but the case was settled in October and Ms Bodycote was awarded the payout.
The solicitors said had the practice used ‘reasonable care and skill’, she would not have experienced untreated decay (pictured) in five different teeth
Tim Armitage of the Dental Law Partnership said: ‘The distress and pain our client has experienced was completely unnecessary.
‘If the dentists had carried out adequate treatment in the first place, her problems could have been avoided.’
Dr Ismail Bhyat, practice principal at The Avenue, said: ‘While we do not accept the accuracy of the facts portrayed by The Dental Law Partnership, we are limited in what we can say because of patient confidentiality.
‘However, we are pleased the matter has been brought to a satisfactory conclusion and that all parties can now move on.’
MailOnline has approached The Avenue Dental Practice for further comment.
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