A 32-year-old woman was left with a massive gap in her mouth after a dentist extracted the wrong tooth.
Zoe Stockwell, a children's nurse from Lewisham, south-east London, visited Church View Dental Clinic in Upminster, Essex, for a routine extraction.
The patient, who had been going to a private dentist in the past, was experiencing a "dull toothache" and was told she needed either an extraction or a root canal treatment.
After getting a £500 quote for an extraction by the private provider, Ms Stockwell found Church View Dental Clinic, an NHS dentist, which could carried out the procedure for £80.
Ms Stockwell said she was nervous when she visited the dental practice, and that when she arrived, she had to wait outside for a while as dentists were running behind schedule.
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She said: "I arrived at the practice with my sister and was afraid from the outset because I have always been a bit nervous about the dentist. I got there and was told they were running late and had to wait for 45 minutes outside.
"When I finally entered the practice the dentist hurriedly numbed my mouth and started the extraction on the lower left side. I can only describe the experience as horrific."
She continued: "My sister was saying that everyone around kept commenting on how long the procedure was taking and it felt like I was sitting in that chair for hours.
"When I finally left and the numbness in my mouth started to wear off, I started to panic because something didn't feel right.
"I quickly realised that [the dentist] had pulled out a healthy molar tooth and left the painful tooth in my mouth."
When she realised the dentist - who left the clinic over a year ago - had removed the wrong tooth, Ms Stockwell felt "distraught and devastated" and she was scared about having to go through the whole procedure once again.
The following day, she booked an emergency appointment with her previous private dentist, who confirmed the issues were still there and told her she would need another extraction to remove the tooth that was causing her problems.
She said: "I woke up the next morning and booked an emergency appointment at my previous private dentist who performed an X-ray which showed that the problems were still there.
"I was informed that I'd need another extraction to remove the tooth that should have been extracted in the first place, followed by implant replacement on that tooth and the gap that had been made from the wrong tooth being taken out previously."
The patient then called Church View Dental Clinic, but claimed the dentist practice was "adamant" that it had removed the correct tooth.
However, she asked the dental clinic to send her all their notes and data.
In 2021, the woman contacted the Dental Law Partnership, a specialist firm of dental negligence solicitors.
In October 2022, the Upminster dentist - which admitted breach of duty - paid Ms Stockwell £13,000 in an out-of-court settlement.
Rebecca McVety, of the Dental Law Partnership, said: "The distress and pain our client has experienced was completely unnecessary.
"If the dentist had carried out adequate treatment in the first place, her problems could have been avoided."
Ms Stockwell, who described the experience as "horrific", was left in pain for six months following the incorrect extraction until she could eventually have the correct tooth removed.
She claimed that the incorrect procedure also left her terrified about undergoing dental treatment and as a result, she has attended therapy sessions to talk about her anxiety.
Ms Stockwell will now require extensive restorative treatment to fill the gap left by the incorrect tooth extraction.
She will need an implant-retained crown, future cycles, and a lifetime of maintenance, the Dental Law Partnership said.
Ms Stockwell said: "I was made to feel like it was my fault by Church View Dental Clinic and I honestly felt like I was going crazy. I was in so much pain for six months following the incorrect extraction until eventually I could have the correct tooth removed.
"I will now have to have replacement implants for the rest of my life, which scares me because I'm now extremely nervous about undergoing dental treatment after the incorrect extraction, and have spoken about my dental anxiety at several therapy sessions."
Church View Dental Clinic told the Mirror: "You will appreciate that we cannot comment on any individual case due to patient confidentiality."
It added that the dentist who carried out the procedure "no longer works at Church View Dental Clinic for almost a year now".
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