To sue dentist?

[cultkid]

I have currently got eight impacted teeth in my mouth for the top and four at the bottom three years ago I visited my dentist and asked for a referral to have these teeth extracted.

My dentist did not make the referral. After one year I chased the referral and realised it had not been made. I then had to go through the whole process again and have a new x-ray of my head and a new referral made

This referral was not made correctly and now I am in year three. The dentist amongst other things said that I needed seduction various points through the referral letter he had made I found this out because I asked for the letter to be printed that he had written as the referral was getting repeatedly lost within the system according to the administration staff at the dentist I now need to wait at least 41 weeks to be seen by a maxillofacial consultant before they can schedule the surgery

To add to the complications the dentist said that I needed an anaesthetic as I was too nervous for the extraction. This isn't the case and they have been clinically indicated as needing an anaesthetic they are very impacted and my gums are bothering me quite a lot

I am currently having to take Eletriptan at least three times a week for awful migraines my doctor said that the reason I'm having migraines is because of my impacted teeth

I complained to the dentist and contacted pals. The response from the dentist was that English wasn't his first language and that he only works for two out of four weeks so I have to give him some slack basically

I am underweight at 46 kg and I am having to take Eletriptan to combat migraines which were never initially for me in the past is there anywhere I could go to have these teeth extracted privately as I have not seen anywhere online

The dentist referred the complaint to the ombudsman because I actually don't know I spoke to a secretary today at the dentist and I'm waiting for the manager to call me back I have said to the dentist I would like them to cover the cost of me having these teeth extracted privately as they have left me for three years in a dreadful situation I don't know where I can go next can anyone please advise me apologies for typos I have used the microphone for this post as I currently have a dreadful migraine

Edit I've posted in legal but no answers and husband going to read them for me to see if we can do anything thanks so much I'm so upset and desperate

Your post is difficult to follow probably because you've dictated it but I think I have got the main points. I am going to answer you from the dentist's perspective. This is probably not what you want to hear.

I'm sorry to hear you are having such problems but not all the issues you are listing lie with your dentist.

Yes the original lack of referral in I'm assuming 2020 was, but the rejection of the referrals is unfortunately really common. These get rejected for all sorts of reasons not all of them logical and their are often months between the letter being sent and then the rejection coming back. I'm currently trying to get a patient seen and I've sent the referal letter three times so far- first rejected as they had changed the forms the week before, second time because they said I hadn't included something that according their criteria wasn't necessary so I'm now trying for the third time.

They may have requested sedation in error but they may have done so to increase the likelyhood of your case being accepted. Even if sedation is requested it does not mean the hospital will recommend it after seeing you. I am unsure why this has increased your wait are you saying your referral was treated differently because of it? If they requested General Anaesthetic yes because the waiting lists are significantly longer.

I would also question your GP saying the teeth are causing your migraines. Jaw joint and muscle spasm are more likely to be the issue.

The 40 plus week hospital wait is completely beyond the dentist's control.

You can find someone local to you to take your teeth out privately put private oral surgeon in your seach engine. If you call them they will be able to give you a price for an initial consultation. 8 impacted teeth is going to be costly. Our local specialist charge in the region of £350 per impacted tooth. You may be able to get this for less by shopping around.

Going back to your question, yes you can sue and you may find a lawyer who will take your case. Should your dentist or their indemnity have to pay privately for you to have 8 impacted teeth out because of the appalling state of the NHS with difficulty in referral and long waits when the majority of this is beyond their control I will leave that to your consideration.

@MillyMollyMardy

Thank you so much for this reply I actually found this really helpful. I was a bit hysterical yesterday in the midst of the migraine.

I'm glad it has helped.
The referral process and secondary care is really hard work.
My most frustrating moments are when I get a letter saying " we've seen your patient discussed the risks and they've decided not to have the treatment" and I referred them because of an issue that will reoccur and when this happens again they are likely to be facing even longer waits than the first time.