Orthodontic hell... Please help...

icecreamcastle

Hello and thank you in advance for any help.


I will try to explain my 18 month nightmare as quick as possible:


Back in May 2014 I purchased a 'six month smile' brace deal through Wowcher. Had brace finally fitted in September 2014. Told all will be fixed. Will be completed by February 2015 (maybe even by Christmas 2014).


Roll on to present day. Absolute hell. Brace still on after 14 months. Teeth horrific. Surgery a disgrace. Depression. Stress. Loads of money out of pocket. Surgery takes no responsibility. Claims doesn't receive emails. Hung up on me last time I telephoned. Washed their hands of me. Took my money and ran.


I've contacted Dental Complaints Service, General Dental Council, NHS Helpline, St Thomas's Hospital, Eastman Dental Hospital etc. Very little help there.


Paid £150 for an independent orthodontic consultation. Confirmed previous orthodontic work is dreadful. Another 18 months and £4500 to correct the bad work.


I'm having the new braces fitted tomorrow. I can't afford it but will have to find the money in instalments.


There's an awful lot more to this story (I've tried to keep it brief).


I'm now looking to sue the original surgery.


Please can somebody advise me how to proceed? I didn't want to go down this route but I now have no choice. Can anybody recommend somebody? Should I contact these 'no win, no fee' type companies?


Thanks again and I really appreciate any help.

cashewnut

I'm so sorry you're going through this.

I have no idea how you proceed but I would think it's worthwhile taking lots of photos of the bad work. Good luck to you.

Toothsmith

The Dental Complaints Service is usually quite good. Why do you feel they haven't been much help?

This bit is not really any good for you - but if anyone else is reading this - the take note.....

These 'quick' orthodontic solutions are often a lot less than they are cracked up to be. They take ordinary dentists (like me) and give them a few days (at most) training in one particular system. That system will not always be suitable for every problem - and it often takes a lot more training and experience to spot the 'Beartrap' cases that really shouldn't be touched.

So - if you feel you need orthodontics - go and see a proper specialist orthodontist. If a 'quick' system is appropriate, they will happily recommend it - and charge you for it. But if a slower (cheaper!) more conventional plan is necessary - then they will tell you, and let you decide whether you still want to go ahead considering it will take longer than you initially wanted.

The very worst way to get any dental treatment would be via Woucher, or Groupon or similar 'deals'. Why would a good, experienced dentist want to give away a particular treatment at a lot less than they would normally be able to sell it for if they were busy? The only reason is that they've just spent a lot of money on the training for that particular system, and want to draw in a lot of people to try and make up the training costs as soon as they can. Unfortunately, this can be a rather short-sighted way of pulling in the punters - as I'm sure they've now found out!

So - if you're thinking of orthodontic treatment, it's fine to have a favourite way of wanting it done, but get recommendations for a good orthodontist, go and see them for the consultation, and allow yourself to be talked out of that system, and into the best system for your case, even if it's uglier, and slower. It's the final result you want, not the tool for getting there. Plus - it can be expensive to do it properly. So be prepared for that, and save up.

As for your case now - your priority needs to be getting things fixed properly. Taking action against the initial dentist (if appropriate) is really a secondary consideration. It is quite easy to find a solicitor and take action. If it's an 'open & shut' case - then it would be easy to find someone who might do it on a 'no win' basis - but make sure you are fully informed as to how much of the award you will get if you do this. You may get more if you pay your own fees initially - but your priority for your money at the moment should probably be on getting your mouth fixed properly.

icecreamcastle

Many thanks Cashewnut and Toothsmith for your replies, they mean a lot to me.


I totally agree with Toothsmith in regards to steering clear from Wowcher, Groupon etc brace deals. As I said before, there is a lot more to my nightmare and you have hit the nail on the head many times. The old sayings 'You get what you pay for!' and 'Pay peanuts, you get monkeys!' spring to mind.


From my personal experience, the whole 18 months '6 month smile' brace has been complete hell. I have been to my new orthodontists this morning and it was a complete breath of fresh air. I was extremely anxious at first, but they were so professional and a total contrast to the previous surgery I went to. I feel I'm now in good hands and there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel.


With the price of the '6 month smile' deal, travel expenses, loss of earnings etc, I had calculated the '6 month smile' deal would cost me around £2500 in total. It has in fact cost me about £4000 and I am now paying another £4500 plus more loss of earnings, travel etc to put the work right and finally get straight teeth. The '6 month smile' deal was supposed to finish in February 2015 (I had budgeted for it to run slightly over), my finish date now is estimated at May 2017. By that time, the overall cost of getting my teeth fixed will be over £10,000 and would have taken a total of 3 years!


Add to that, the stress, depression and despair I have/am suffering and you can see just how awful this nightmare has been.


For me, 2015 was a big year for family celebrations. We had a lot of big events planned (starting from May 2015) and that is one of the reason why I wanted to have a new smile. Instead, I look severely depressed in all the photographs. My mouth is shut as I was ashamed to show my dreadful teeth and it was also asked on numerous occasions 'Had I had a stroke?'. I feel the '6 month smile' surgery cheated me and my family out of all these wonderful celebrations.


In regards to the Dental Complaints Service, I sent them 3 emails over the course of about 3 weeks before I finally got a reply (each time I sent an email, I got an automated response that said 'somebody would contact me within 48 hours'). When I did finally get a response, their concern seemed to be for future patients who would suffer like me. Without sounding selfish, I was in desperate need of help. I don't want other people to suffer like me and plan to do what I can to stop this from happening but I needed to sort out my teeth and my health first. I have since contacted them again and a week has now past without a response.


Everybody I contacted said it was a 'priority' I get my teeth fixed asap, yet none of the organisations could help me in this matter. Because I am a tax payer, who works and already had a brace fitted(despite the fact I was no longer receiving treatment), I was stuffed. I therefore have had to get into debt to pay again.


That is why I feel I have to sue.


I would still appreciate any guidance as to which law firm to contact etc? Like you pointed out Toothsmith, I am weary to contact just any solicitor and would ideally like to contact one that somebody has had dealings with or can recommend?


Thanks again for all your help.


P.S: Forgot to say, I have taken lots of photographs of the poor work. My new orthodontist has also taken photographs.

brook2jack

I am extremely surprised you haven't got far with the dental complaints service , they are by far the quickest way to settle this problem. They do not charge you at all, resolution is normally in a couple of weeks. They can't help you with sorting your teeth out now but are the best bet for a quick restoration of your money. I would try phoning rather than email , here is the contact number http://www.gdc-uk.org/sites/dcs/Pages/default.aspx.

The GDC cannot get money back for you, only discipline the dentist by striking off etc so your only other bet is legal action. It will take two to three years in all likely hood to get the money back and restitution. This is only , though, if the business is still trading. There are many who have taken up wowcher style deals where the surgery has gone bankrupt , and have no way of recovering their money, unless they paid by credit card https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4460441

If you are sure the surgery is still in business then your solicitor should be able to institute proceedings. But be careful if the surgery folds then you could be out even more money for legal proceedings.

Dentistry, including orthodontics , is extremely expensive to provide. I would personally never obtain it through these kind of discount deals. I would always use a recommended dentist/orthodontist. There really is not the sort of profit margin in UK dentistry that would make these sort of discount deals , in general, viable and there are a few threads from people who have found themselves in similar straits.

welshdent

Just want to second and third the sentiments about a) using an ortho "system" b) seeing a non orthodontist and c) buying treatments off a discount site. b and c - just dont. I have it heard in circles that fully trained orthodontists call 6 month smiles "6 month law suits" when done but minimally trained practitioners. Point a - well fine IF done by someone properly trained who can offer all treatments.

Also to stress to one and all.

The GDC will NOT get money back so if your primary goal is to seek compensation, this is NOT the way to do it.

an example could be a 2 - 3 year case against a dentist who may or may not get erased or suspended or have conditions placed. THEN you would need to take further action to get compensation via another route. This is not well publicised at all.

Have you tried directly contacting the dentist with a complaints letter? Send via special delivery and they would then go to their protection company who can see how your case stacks up. Could be quicker and cut out the middle men

icecreamcastle

Many thanks Brook2jack and Welshdent for your responses. Sorry I haven't replied sooner, I am currently working overtime to try a generate the money for my new brace.


A few people have advised I write to the 'wowcher' surgery again. As I said before, I sent them 3 emails via 2 different sources in June 2015 but they claimed to have never received them. To be honest, I really don't want to have any 'one to one' communication with them ever again. Now I have a new brace and the poor work is finally getting fixed, I'm feeling better mentally and want to continue to progress. I really want to move on from this nightmare but I simple can't afford to write off all my financial losses!


I guess I will have to write to them again. This time I will send a letter via special delivery. Welshdent, are you saying I should write this letter without having established some form of solicitor? I'm just a bit concerned I will be giving them a 'head start' as I'm convinced they will try to palm me off.


In regards to the Dental Complaints Service, they have said they 'might be able to get my money back, plus the same again towards the price of the corrective work'. I paid £699 for the 'wowcher' brace, so £699 + £699 = £1398. That doesn't even come close to recouping my losses.


Again, I totally agree that anybody thinking of having their teeth fixed via these Wowcher, Groupon etc deals should run a mile. Hopefully people have seen this thread (or will eventually see it via search engines) and have decided against it.


Many thanks again, anymore help will be greatly appreciated and I will write an update once I have some further news.

welshdent

Its entirely up to you if you use a solicitor or not as a first instance however I dont think you would be disadvantaged by initially contacting them directly with your concerns. first contact so to speak from what I hear and in my experience is handled the same way.
Contact the protection agency and hand the letter and notes to them. they assess it and advise accordingly. If a claim for compensation is indicated then they have an inhouse team dealing with that. Logically (although I dont know this for certain) - if you go in with a solictor then they would need payment should any award be made or even if it isnt. consequentially there would be more money in the pot as long as an amicable resolution can be found if there were no solictors.
Now in the even things dont go smoothly (incidentally when we pass things to our protection agency they are not against you at all. They want to resolve the situation properly) - well then a solicitor could well be needed.
Not responding to correspondence is a BIG no no. If the dentist is will fully ignoring you then that a big problem for them in my opinion.

studentnomore

I'm sorry for you inconvenience. In the case that you can't afford or don't want to use solicitor, maybe you can consider a small claim court. I'm not sure what is exact name for that but it's online service and you can sue company up to £10k ( I think), you don't need solicitor for that. Good luck whatever you decide to do...

brook2jack

You cannot use small claims court for clinical matters is those involving medicine/dentistry where the claim is over £1000 in England, and not at all in Scotland, NI as it requires specialist knowledge to pursue the case. You can use fast track system but this will need a solicitor http://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules/part28

icecreamcastle

Many thanks again for everyone's comments.

As advised, I sent the surgery a letter via special delivery. I gave them until yesterday to acknowledge/respond and they have failed to do so.

I am still searching for a recommendation in terms of a 'no win, no fee' type company. I will also look into the small claims court. I am also going to escalate my case with the General Dental Council and the Dental Complaints Service. I am also wondering about the Office of Fair Trading!?!

Many thanks again for everybody's help and I will update again once I have some further news.