Keighley (West Yorkshire) — A 20-year-old woman has received a ￡26,000 out-of-court settlement after her previous dental practice failed to diagnose and treat tooth decay, leading to a large abscess on her tooth that threatened to rupture and put her at risk of sepsis.
The incident began in the summer of 2021, when 16-year-old Caitlin de Blick discovered a cracked tooth. She sought medical attention at her local Mydentist clinic, where the tooth was cleaned and sealed.
A few weeks later, Caitlin experienced severe pain and swelling in her jaw; she was prescribed antibiotics and told to go to the emergency department if her condition worsened.
When her symptoms did not improve with medication and the swelling extended to her throat, affecting her breathing, Caitlin was rushed to the emergency department at Airedale General Hospital by her mother.
The doctor diagnosed the tooth as requiring immediate extraction and warned her of the imminent risk of the abscess rupturing and causing sepsis. She was then transferred to the ENT department at Bradford Royal Infirmary, where the tooth was extracted under general anesthesia and the pus was drained through an external incision.
After the surgery, Caitlin needed a drain and stitches. The wound remained open for several weeks, leaving a scar about the size of a 50p coin. Caitlin recalled the long and extremely painful recovery process, which required daily cleaning and bandaging.
The several days of hospitalization also caused her to miss university classes and left her with fear and anxiety. She said, “The hospital said if I waited any longer, the abscess might rupture and cause sepsis. So they rushed me into emergency surgery… The whole experience was incredibly traumatic.”
After seeking help from the Dental Law Partnership, a law firm specializing in dental negligence, they launched an investigation and concluded that the dentist in question had failed to detect and treat her tooth decay for years. The case was settled out of court in January 2025, with Caitlin receiving ￡26,000 in compensation.
A Mydentist spokesperson said, “We deeply apologize for Ms. DeBlick’s experience. Providing the highest quality dental care to our patients is our top priority, and we deeply regret that this rare incident fell short of our expectations.”
The dentist involved is no longer with the clinic. Caitlin said she remains traumatized by the incident and is still afraid of dentists. She also continues to experience pain and sensitivity at the site of the tooth.