We have had hundreds of our clients giving us feedback about their experiences as a former patient of the media dubbed ‘Dirty Dentist’ Mr Desmond D’Mello. It’s given us a useful and unique insight in to the merits of the allegations against him, and what we can say so far is that the trends undeniably speak for themselves.
A common phrase people have used so far is expressing how physically sick and ill the whole thing has made them feel.
The thought that you may have had someone else’s germs on dirty gloves put in your mouth is enough to make any sane person’s skin crawl. The idea that bacteria may have been transferred because the tools being used to scrape your teeth and rub against your gums were inside someone else’s mouth just minutes before yours is horrendous.
No one recalls seeing tools taken out from wrappers – they were usually already laid out ready for use. People would frequently see D’Mello running up and down the corridors as he would struggle to cope with the volume of patients he was seeing, and he’d still be wearing gloves; probably the same gloves he’d been wearing for some time.
He would regularly call patients in whilst already wearing gloves, leaving us to only imagine how long he may have had them on for.
All this has made people feel physically sick, and it’s entirely understandable. Some of our clients have reported actually being sick and falling ill in light of the news. We can only imagine how hard it must be, which is why we’re taking action for former patients who want justice for what they have been put through.
Its important to understand as well though that it isn’t just what he has done that has had a major impact – it’s also about who he was.
Of the thousands of former patients out there seeking help and advice, I’ve not heard a single one of any that I have spoken to ever have a bad word to say against Mr D’Mello when it comes to how they felt about him prior to the news.
It’s common knowledge that he was well known, well liked, and well respected; and he was a pillar of the local community, with many of his former patients now claiming with us describing him as more of a friend than a dental surgeon.
The fact that he was so well liked has made all of this worse. People feel betrayed, and rightly so. Not only have they been let down by medical professional, but for many, they have been let down by a friend.
