Woman: Dentist broke my jaw

2013-03-22 10:07

(File) (Shutterstock)

Johannesburg - A Gauteng woman has taken civil action against a dentist after her jaw was allegedly broken while he was pulling her teeth.

Three years after Rika Cilliers visited the dentist to have the teeth pulled and dentures put in, she is still unable to eat properly, reported Beeld.

She is waiting for yet another operation to rebuild her jaw.

“I am going through hell. I can still not eat properly. Everything has to be soft and completely minced. My jaw is crumbling,” said Cilliers.

She said one could feel the plate that had replaced part of her jaw through her skin.

She said the nightmare started in April 2010 when the teeth were pulled. Afterwards she was given pain medication and antibiotics.

In July, she and her husband went back to the dentist as she was still in pain and they wanted an explanation.

X-rays were taken and according to the dentist, showed an abscess. He referred her to a specialist.

The specialist’s assistant immediately saw the right bottom jaw was broken and the specialist confirmed this, wanting to operate straight away.

The dentist couldn’t believe that her jaw was broken, telling her husband that her teeth had not been stuck that firmly.

“On the recommendation of my GP and the specialist, I went to see my lawyer and started with proceedings against the dentist. But nothing has yet come of it. Meanwhile I can’t eat properly or chew,” said Cilliers.

- News24