A RETIRED nurse who struggled to eat after a dentist botched her treatment was awarded £50,000 in compensation.

Judith Duckworth, of Blackburn, suffered severe discomfort, swelling, toothache and was left with a gap between her front teeth after a visit to Accrington Road Dental Surgery, Blackburn.

The retired psychiatric nurse attended the surgery in pursuit of the ‘perfect smile’ but soon after she had received her cosmetic dental work she began to experience severe pain.

The 61-year-old said: “I wanted my teeth to look great. I told my dentist, Dr Konstantinos Lentzos, that I wanted the perfect smile. He said he could help me by fitting crowns. I trusted he knew what he was doing, so decided to go ahead.”

But soon after Mrs Duckworth had 13 crowns and a three unit bridge inserted she began to experience severe pain and discomfort in her mouth.

She suffered for around three weeks before she decided to complain to Dr Lentzos, who told her it was normal for dentistry work to be painful for a while after treatment.

It wasn’t until a friend noticed a large gap beginning to show in her teeth that Mrs Duckworth sought a second opinion. She said: “By this point I was in a lot of pain. My gums were so sensitive and painful I was finding it difficult to eat.”

Mrs Duckworth contacted the Dental Law Partnership and an analysis of her dental records revealed that Dr Lentzos had placed the crowns and bridgework inadequately. It also transpired that the crowns were unnecessary.

She said: “The thought of having to go through all of this again is soul- destroying, but I have no choice. The crowns and bridgework look terrible. They don’t match up and look ridiculous. Not only are they aesthetically poor, but my gums now bleed every time I brush my teeth.

“I just wanted a nice smile and the dentist could have given me one without any crowns. It’s been very distressing. Everything from the pain, to the expense, to the endless time I’ve spent in the dentist’s chair.”

The Dental Law Partnership took on Mrs Duckworth’s case in 2016 and the case was successfully settled in 2018 when the dentists paid a total of £50,000 in an out-of-court settlement. The dentist did not admit liability.

Accrington Road Dental Surgery was unavailable for comment.