A woman has spoken of her seven-year "hell" after suing two dentists for failing to treat chronic tooth decay.

Kristina Simpkin, 33, sued Dr Ian Addleson and Dr Andreas Artopoulos of Bounds Green Dental Practice, in Wood Green, after constant failure to treat two decaying teeth.

The Winchmore Hill woman received £15,000 in compensation after switching practices and taking the matter to court.

Ms Simpkin's woes began eleven years ago after X-rays showed visible decay under two teeth and a faulty filling in a third.

Despite the signs, Dr Addleson failed to treat Ms Simpkin for the decay and simply replaced the filling.

Four years later, no treatment had been taken and further X-rays showed the teeth had worsened, with decay appearing underneath the replacement filling.

Ms Simpkin told the Enfield Independent that she had experienced serious pain ten months after these X-rays and was in “agony.”

She said: “It was just in one tooth but it was agony. I saw Dr Artopoulos this time, who spotted the decay in one tooth and said I needed a root canal treatment and a crown. He suggested I made another appointment to have that done. However before I could get back in to have the treatment the pain had spread to another tooth.”

After going back in May 2008, she was prescribed painkiller after X-rays revealed extensive decay in two teeth and further root canal treatment would be needed.

She added: “At this point it was starting to become a nightmare. Another one of my teeth got really sensitive to cold, so I went back again to the practice a month later.

“I had the filling in that tooth taken out and a temporary one put in and was told I might need another root canal treatment, which would be the third in two months.

“I went back to the practice again in November 2008 because four fillings had become loose. I saw a different dentist this time and found out a fourth tooth was so badly decayed it needed to be taken out. I was devastated.” 

Having both failed to take any action, Ms Simpkin said that she “didn’t trust” Dr Addleson and saw Dr Artopoulos in February 2009.

She said: “But I did see Dr Artopoulos in February 2009 because the lower-left side of my face had started to hurt very badly and two of my fillings that had been loose in November had now fallen out. He started a root canal treatment in one tooth and I had the tooth that needed to be removed taken out by another dentist.”

A further crown fitted to the took by Dr Artopoulos in April 2010 fell out completely four months later and the 33-year-old decided to switch practices.

Solicitor Emma Owen of Dental Law Partnership said: “The dentists’ failure to diagnose Kristina’s tooth decay resulted in far-reaching consequences for her. Their standards were far below what is expected and Kristina has lost two teeth as a result of their inaction.”

Ms Simpkin added: “I had a hellish few years because of Dr Addleson and Dr Artopoulos and I feel completely let down. I still don’t understand how they could have let things get so bad. I’m glad my case has now been settled so I can begin to move on with my life.”