A BARNTON dentist has paid out £11,500 after a patient from Northwich was left with a gruesome scar.


Thirty-three-year-old Rowena Browne took legal action against her dentist, Dr Eva Quevedo, from Smiles Dental in Barnton, claiming that she failed to treat an abscess correctly, which then led to her needing surgery on her cheek.


The Northwich woman went to her dentist three times complaining of pain in her wisdom tooth and jaw and with visible swelling, but despite x-ray’s being carried out, each time she was only given antibiotics.


Rowena said: “I was struggling to eat or open my jaw properly, the wound was visibly oozing and horrible. 


“People used to do a double take when they walked past me, it was gruesome.”


After the third time, Rowena decided to go to another dental surgery in Rudheath, who immediately drained the tooth and referred her to a small dental hospital in Sandbach, which specialised in wisdom tooth extraction.


“Thankfully there were no complications,” said Rowena. 


“The swelling went down after about a month, and the wound started to heal, but the whole area was still very purple and red and there was an indent and puckering of the skin where the wound had been.”


“I am having to look at a course of special fillers to try and balance it up and I may need surgery – it has been a devastating experience.”

 

Specialist lawyers at the Dental Law Partnership took up her case, evidence presented to Emma Owen at the firm identified nine separate failings with the care provided by Dr Quevedo.


Rowena settled the dispute with Dr Quevedo out of court, with the dentist agreeing to pay an £11,500 settlement despite not admitting liability.


Oasis Dental Care, the company that owns Smile Dental, has confirmed Dr Quevedo continues to work at the clinic.


Julian Perry, Oasis Dental Care’s clinical director, said: “We are keen to reassure the public that Oasis Dental Care’s number one priority is delivering clinical excellence to all patients. 


“There are stringent standards in place for the recruitment and ongoing training of our dentists and other staff in order to provide exceptional care throughout Oasis.


“There have been no formal complaints raised to the General Dental Council (GDC) against the dentist, and we are working with her and the entire team at the practice to ensure that our rigorous standards in clinical excellence are met as Smiles Dental, Barnton, becomes part of Oasis Dental Care.


“As with all dentists working at Smiles Dental, Barnton, the dentist is self-employed and continues to work at the practice.”