Dental practice did not leave hole in patient's tooth

What happened

Miss F went to her dental practice in spring 2014 to have treatment to a lower molar tooth. The decay was treated, her old filling removed and a new amalgam filling put in its place. Miss F was not happy with the treatment as she felt that a visible hole had been drilled in the side of the treated tooth. Miss F complained to the Practice. It said it was sorry that she was dissatisfied with the care and advice given, and explained that it had previously discussed her various options with her. The Practice said that during the course of the treatment Miss F was given a mirror to view the work, and that it was confident the treatment was in line with good clinical guidelines.

What we found

We did not uphold this complaint. The dentist treated Miss F appropriately and there was no evidence that the Practice failed to adequately address her concerns or that the treatment provided was not in accordance with good practice. Our clinical adviser said a previous X–ray suggested that Miss F had a defect in the filling and the dentist removed the decay in accordance with relevant guidance. As the decay had spread, it was necessary for the dentist to extend the filling and therefore drill in a different section of Miss F's tooth.