A woman with a rare genetic condition - causing her to have less than half the number of adult teeth - has won £27,500 in compensation after treatment carried out by a dentist left her with extensive dental problems.
Harriet Moggridge, from Epsom, who suffers from Ectodermal Dysplasia, went to Dr Henk Freeke, based at Ringley Park Dental Practice, in Reigate, for two teeth implants.
But she said it was only after she received the bill for this work that the NHS receptionist discovered he had implanted four teeth, which began to fail a few months after surgery.
A second opinion revealed that there was insufficient bone at the implant sites to support the new teeth properly and the posts used for the implants were too big for the bone available, resulting in Ms Moggridge’s sinuses being perforated.
The 26-year-old, who has had to pay for extensive corrective surgery, said: "Having dental implants was supposed to be a new beginning for me, where I could smile with confidence for the first time and not be self-conscious.
"Sadly, it turned into a nightmare.
"I trusted Dr Freeke completely but he’s left me with so many health issues."
Dr Freeke denied liability and settled out-of-court with Ms Moggridge in June.
She has not made a complaint about him to the General Dental Council, which confirmed Dr Freeke was still registered to practise with no conditions attached.
Yvonne Berry, practice manager at Ringley Park Dental Practice, where Dr Freeke still works, said: "We are disappointed the treatment did not go as well as expected and we hope the settlement goes some way to resolving the matter for the patient.
"Although we cannot comment specifically about individual cases due to patient confidentiality, we always strive to provide the best standard of care for all our patients."
According to the dental practice's website, Dr Freeke was educated in South Africa and has trained in America, Switzerland and Sweden.
It said he was "one of the first dentists to use computer technology to design and restore teeth with ceramic porcelain".
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