A British man, Steven Rahman, says his life was completely changed by a dental nightmare: a long-neglected jaw cyst left him terrified of anyone near his mouth.
Steven, 53, from St. Ives, Hampshire, had worked at a London dental clinic for over 15 years, only to discover that his jaw cyst had gone undiagnosed and untreated.
Steven recalls the excruciating pain from the cyst, which forced him to undergo hospitalization for surgery, fearing he might break a tooth or damage his jaw. Even after the surgery, he struggled to eat properly and suffered from extreme anxiety around people near his mouth.
He told the media: “I couldn’t leave the house or work. My face was swollen, and it ruined my social life and my career.” Because the cyst had eroded the roots of some of his teeth, he had to undergo root canal treatment on three of them.
The ordeal began with persistent jaw pain, but his initial dentist reassured him that nothing was wrong. Even with Steven’s regular private dental checkups every six months, the problem remained undetected. It wasn’t until he changed clinics that X-rays revealed the two cysts had been present for years.
He subsequently underwent complex surgery, which involved inserting a plastic tube in his jaw for several weeks to drain the cysts. This surgery resulted in facial swelling, oral bleeding, and an inability to eat solid food for several weeks.
After recovering, he still suffered from partial loss of sensation in his jaw and lips, limited mouth opening, and painful clicking in his ears.
Steven said that daily activities like eating, talking, and socializing had become extremely stressful. He contacted the Dental Law Cooperative, whose lawyers argued that the cysts could have been treated earlier if correctly diagnosed in 2007.
In April 2025, Steven received £30,000 in compensation through an out-of-court settlement, with the dentist denying liability.
He said, “The whole experience was extremely stressful. I still experience periodic jaw pain and a limited ability to open my mouth. I have to cut my food into small pieces when eating, otherwise I feel like my jaw will dislocate. I’m afraid of anyone approaching my jaw and even worry that my teeth might become loose or need to be removed in the future.”
Steven added, “As a long-term, regular patient, I trust my dental professionals, but I’m extremely disappointed that the cyst issue I’ve had for years was ignored.”
