A father from the UK shared his harrowing experience of enduring a dental nightmare that has plagued him with ongoing pain and anxiety. Steven Rahman, a 53-year-old IT specialist from St Ives, Hampshire, revealed that cysts in his jaw were repeatedly overlooked by his London dental clinic where he had been a patient for over 15 years.
The excruciating pain caused by the undetected cysts led Steven to undergo hospital surgery, fearing the worst for his jaw and teeth. He described how the cysts had eroded the roots of some of his teeth, necessitating multiple root canals. Even today, Steven struggles to eat properly, experiences intermittent pain, and feels uneasy about anyone approaching his mouth.
Initially, Steven noticed tenderness in his jaw but was reassured that everything was fine by his previous dental provider. Despite regular private check-ups every six months, the issue went unnoticed until he changed clinics and X-rays revealed the shocking truth of long-standing cyst growth.
The subsequent complex surgeries left Steven with a swollen face, ongoing pain, and severe discomfort, making simple tasks like eating challenging. The lasting effects include loss of sensation in parts of his jaw, chin, and lips, along with difficulty fully opening his mouth and painful clicking in his ears due to the cysts damaging his teeth roots.
Steven’s struggles have impacted his daily life, making activities like eating, speaking, and socializing exhausting and stressful. Seeking legal recourse, he was awarded £30,000 in a settlement after it was revealed that the cysts could have been treated much earlier if correctly diagnosed in 2007.
Despite the settlement, Steven continues to experience occasional jaw pain and fears further dental issues or tooth loss. He expressed disappointment in the dental professionals who failed to detect the cysts over the years, as he had trusted them during his regular check-ups for more than two decades.