A 61-year-old woman who lost two teeth when her dentist failed to treat her for decay has won a £17,000 settlement.

Miss Penelope Christoforou, a salon owner form Harrow, received the five-figure sum in March this year after an almost seven-year struggle with “endless pain”. 

In 2011, Miss Christoforou was given a filling by Dr Antonis Petrou-Amerikanos of Agno Dental and Aesthetics in Rickmansworth, Watford.

She said she visited the dentist “regularly”, claiming she “never had any concerns” about her teeth. 

After the filling was placed she began having toothache.

She said: “The filling did feel uncomfortable. I began to experience toothache. But I just assumed it was the filling settling in.”

Harrow Times:

By 2013, however, the problem had become more sever. This time, Dr Amerikanos performed a root canal and provided a crown. 

Miss Christoforou said she could not understand why this was happening to someone who visited the dentist “more than most”, adding: “One minute, Dr Amerikanos was performing root canal treatment, the next he was fitting a crown.

“After he’d placed the crown, I knew something was wrong. It just seemed to be aesthetically poor. I run a salon, so it’s important to be confident and look your best. 

“But the crown looked strange. I started to become self-conscious. It just wasn’t me when I looked in the mirror. And the toothache just continued to the point where I was having sleepless nights.”

Her problems got worse until in 2016 she ended up having two teeth extracted by another practice. 

Harrow Times:

Miss Christoforou contacted the Dental Law Partnership. Analysis of her records showed decay was clearly visible in x-rays taken as far back as 2011 and that because it had not been treated a root canal was required.

Fitting a crown over the decay instead of removing it meant that two of her teeth could not be saved.

She said: “To think I’ve lost two teeth because a dentist wasn’t doing their job properly is unbelievable.

“Putting the endless pain aside, I’ve wasted so much time at the dentist.

I’ve also spent my savings on treatment that didn’t cure my problems. I just wish I had changed dentists sooner.” 

The Dental Law Partnership took on her case in 2016 reaching an out of court settlement this year to the tune of £17,000. The dentist did not admit liability.

Tyla Westhead of the Dental Law Partnership, said: “The distress and pain our client experienced was completely unnecessary. 

“If the dentist had carried out adequate treatment in the first place, all her problems could have been avoided. We hope the compensation she receives goes some way towards paying for any additional treatment required.” 

Dr Amerikanos said: “While I do not accept the accuracy of the facts set out by the Dental Law Partnership, I am limited in what I can say because of patient confidentiality.”