Patient forced to pay for a healthy tooth to be filled
A woman was faced with a bill for £126 following a procedure to fill a tooth, which was later found to be healthy.
Anna Grayson, a writer from Devon, visited Teignmouth’s Den Dental Practice and was treated by Karen Hanbury; she paid £126 for the filling at the private dental practice. Just a few weeks after Ms Grayson had the new filling fitted she was forced to return to the dentist, as she was suffering from severe pain. Following a consultation, Anna Grayson was told she needed extensive treatment, which would cost hundreds of pounds; the prices were considerably higher than advertised and Ms Grayson felt she was pressured into agreeing to the treatment.
Ms Grayson subsequently complained to trading standards about Karen Hanbury and was shocked when investigations proved that her teeth had been treated unnecessarily; X-rays of the tooth that was filled showed that the tooth was perfectly healthy and did not require restorative treatment. Ms Grayson said she was astounded and felt cheated; she is now registered with an NHS dentist.
In light of the incident, the General Dental Council have issued Karen Hanbury with a warning and condemned her behaviour as unacceptable. She was also encouraged to improve her communication skills and be more transparent with her patients. Ms Hanbury refused to comment.
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