£9,000 puts smile back on boy’s face after mother sues dentist

Cameron Jackson had to have the decayed teeth removed when he was just three, leaving him with just seven teeth until his adult set grow through. His mother took legal action against his dentist, who failed to spot the decay after Cameron’s toothache became increasingly painful.

They have now reached an out-of-court settlement and Cameron will receive the money when he reaches his 18th birthday.

Dentist Dr Raymond Matloa has not admitted liability for the loss of Cameron’s teeth.

Cameron’s mother, Wendy Jackson, from Bradford, said she had grown increasingly concerned about Cameron’s teeth.

She said she had always taken him for check-ups and brushed his teeth but his toothache became worse.

“He was on pain relief every night because he would wake up screaming in the night,” she said.

In 2010, he had the teeth removed at a dental institute in Leeds.

Mrs Jackson said that Cameron could not remember the operation but it had now left him very self-conscious about his appearance.

She said: “He doesn’t like smiling because he’s scared that somebody’s going to say ‘Why have you got no teeth?’”

Mrs Jackson, 31, said he had now adapted to eating without his teeth – and even bit into apples with his gums.

She said: “I’m glad that this is settled and we can begin to move on.

Cameron’s doing really well and being very brave about the whole thing, which we’re very grateful for.”

The family’s lawyer, Heather Williams, from dental negligence solicitors the Dental Law Partnership, said: “Although it is baby teeth that Cameron has lost, it will still be a few years before his adult teeth come through.”