Since the news broke that Nottinghamshire based dentist Desmond D’Mello had been caught and filmed ignoring NHS infection control procedures by a whistleblower, thousands of former patients have reached out for help and advice.
We’re an expert firm of personal injury lawyers who are specialising in Daybrook Dental compensation claims and we have been advising a lot of people since we commenced our campaign to obtain justice for those affected.
The NHS has described the risk of infection as low, although it’s important to remember that the types of infections that could have been spread between patients are serious – HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.
Hepatitis B is perhaps the more likely infection to have spread because it can be spread through poorly sterilised dentistry equipment. One of the allegations made following the secret footage of D’Mello that showed him ignoring infection control procedures was the use of unsterilised / inadequately sterilised equipment.
The other two primary allegations in relation to his own conduct so far are the reuse of gloves and failing to wash his hands.
I’ll be honest – like many people out there I hate the dentist, although a lot of my dislike for the dentist is actually because I have a phobia of needles and blood, as well as having a history of bad reactions to adrenaline based anaesthetics. So to find out that your dentist – a man who has been described by our clients as a generally nice fellow and a pillar of the community – had been putting you at risk is a serious matter.
It’s even made me a little more edgy about my next visit to the dentist, even though I’ve never been a Daybrook patient. We put our trust, and our lives, in the hands of medical professionals, and we expect a level of care where the focus is on keeping us safe; not exposing us to life threatening diseases.
Hopefully no one will have contracted anything life altering or life threatening, but the mere fact of what has happened can be enough to entitle you to compensation. The concern and worry that you have been potentially exposed to serious infection – on top of the fact most people don’t like the dentist anyway – is something we are taking very seriously here.
We can still only speculate as to why Mr D’Mello decided to put the lives of his patients and local community at risk. A lot of our clients have already informed us that they often felt that the practice was very busy and patient appointments were perhaps rushed. The theory that this has stemmed from profitability is a popular one given the recent media reports about the amount of money D’Mello has allegedly been making as a dentist during his 32-year-long career.
Our advice is to keep liaising with the NHS when it comes to medical concerns, and speak to us when it comes to legal representation and information about your rights when it comes to making a claim for dental negligence compensation.
Our dedicated Daybrook Legal Team is available to speak to you! Just call 0800 634 7575 today.
