Wayne Osborne went to a dental practice in the hope of getting his teeth straightened. But what followed was a "nightmare" that left his teeth feeling like "jelly babies".
Wayne has now been handed a pay out of more than £17,000 following the ordeal. His dentist has not admitted liability, but said the payment was a "good faith" gesture.
The 58-year-old patient first visited Liverpool Dental Spa in 2011 to look at getting his lower teeth straightened. He went on an Invisalign treatment but he said it didn't work, leaving him to change his diet after being left "constantly in pain".
The Invisalign was replaced with metal braces, which Wayne said were left on too long, leaving him in discomfort. During the treatment, Liverpool Dental Spa said Wayne was seen by clinical director Dr Marius McGovern and four other clinicians, including a specialist orthodontist.
The General Dental Council is currently carrying out an investigation into Dr McGovern's professional conduct, following complaints made by seven patients about implant treatment they received between 2012 and 2019.
He appeared before the Dental Professionals Hearing Service on February 22 where a number of interim restrictions were imposed upon his registration while an investigation into the allegations continues. The Liverpool ECHO understands Wayne's complaint is not related to this ongoing investigation.
Wayne told the ECHO: "I did some research and it said Invisalign was a new alternative to metal braces, and you find the results with them are much quicker, so I thought 'that's a good idea'. My teeth were not in a bad state, I had braces when I was a youngster. I looked at a few different dentists and it was him that I unfortunately ended up going in and having a consultation with."
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Wayne said he was told it would take around six to eight months to straighten lower teeth and widen both arches. However, it was around 12 months into the treatment that the problems first started when he lost his bite - an issue which causes teeth not to meet properly.
Wayne said: "They kept saying to me 'you're a difficult case and it's going to take a bit longer', and consequently that was how it was all the way through."
Wayne said his teeth went from feeling firm and stable to "being like jelly babies in my mouth", adding "I honestly felt on a number of occasions like my teeth were ready to come out".
"I said 'I feel like I'm eating and my teeth are moving', and they said 'that's normal don't worry about it'. But you can imagine ten years of having my teeth move from here to there, I was constantly in pain.
"I was eating stuff like mashed potato and I couldn't eat a steak or anything like that. It caused my whole diet to change really and that was even towards the end."
Liverpool Dental Spa told the ECHO Wayne's Invisalign treatment "did not achieve the desired results" and sometimes there can be bite issues after Orthodontic treatment. In 2014, Wayne had the Invisalign removed and he had fixed metal braces fitted by an orthodontic clinician followed by replacement crowns and veneers.
Wayne claims he continued to experience problems with his bite, and the crowns and veneers were "ill fitting." However, Liverpool Dental Spa said Dr McGovern has no evidence in support of this.
When Wayne was still not happy with his treatment, Liverpool Dental Spa said he was advised to see a specialist orthodontist free of charge for a period of three years, who deemed he would need to finish treatment. The ECHO understands Dr McGovern then suggested Wayne should see an independent orthodontist.
Wayne claims he was advised by the independent orthodontist to have his metal braces removed immediately because they had been on for too long. After the braces were removed, Wayne decided he did not want to continue treatment and asked for a full refund plus damages.
He received £13,240 from Liverpool Dental Spa between 2021 and 2022, and a further £4,000 was paid out following a Dispute Resolution Hearing before a district judge in Wigan on January 9 this year.
Wayne said: "I think when you feel invisible and not listened to it's extremely frustrating. My mental health suffered with it as well as the pain with my teeth. I think it important to highlight this so no one else has to go through the same horrific nightmare I’ve endured over the last 11 years."
Liverpool Dental Spa said Dr McGovern has made every effort to see Mr Osborne throughout his treatment. The dental practice has not admitted liability and the refunds and payments were given as "good faith" gestures.
