A 43-year-old man from Mathikere, Bengaluru, sued the clinic where he was treated and its dentists. He was left with 10 of his teeth damaged after a dental procedure went awry. The consumer court recently went based on the Karnataka State Dental Council’s findings in the matter and ordered the dentists to pay Rs. 2 lakh as compensation for the damage caused. The consumer court also ordered the clinic to refund Rs. 50,000, which he had paid as a fee.
In 2016, the resident of HMT Layout in Mathikere visited the Sabka Dentist Clinic, run by Total Dental Care Pvt. Ltd. on Sampige Road in Malleswaram, Bengaluru. After the examination, the dentists stated that he needed orthodontic treatment with ceramic braces for the correction of his front teeth. For this procedure, he paid Rs. 34,000 for the yearlong procedure that started on November 26, 2016. Although the patient claimed the procedure was dragged out for more than two years and was also made to pay additional charges up to Rs 50,000.
During the removal of braces on March 23, 2019, the patient realized that eight of his teeth and the enamel of another two were damaged. The patient visited the Sabka Clinic team as he started experiencing severe pain while chewing and swelling of the gums. He reported his problems to the team at Sabka Clinic. A new set of dentists was assigned. According to the patient, the new team cemented a few teeth, causing further damage and pain.
The patient then approached the dental section of St. John’s Medical College Hospital, where the doctors discovered that he had suffered multiple ceramic aberrations on his teeth and needed several costly procedures. The patient then filed a complaint with the Malleswaram police station. But with the police taking no action, he sent a legal notice to Sabka Clinic and its two main dentists. He then filed a complaint with the Bangalore 1st Additional District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Shantinagar, accusing the clinic of service deficiency. Two dentists at Sabka Clinic were ordered to pay Rs 2 lakh as compensation for the damage caused. The consumer court also asked the clinic to refund Rs 50,000, which the patient had paid as a fee.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Komal Bhoi/MSM)
