Scottish woman says £24,000 dental implants left her with 'contorted' face and jaw pain

A 52-year-old mother-of-two from Alloa, Clackmannanshire, says a £24,000 course of dental implants has left her with a “contorted” face and painful jaw problems she attributes to poorly fitted teeth.

Moira Devlin said she booked a consultation with a dental surgeon in Leeds after seeing an advertisement in June 2023 and was persuaded to have a full set of implants rather than the minor work she had originally intended. She said she underwent four rounds of surgery over six months and paid for the treatment with a payday loan that she is still repaying at £666 a month.

Devlin said the new teeth are too large for her jaw and have changed the shape of her face. "This is utter bedlam — my face is contorted and my teeth are too big for my jaw," she said. "I look like Dot Cotton — or even the Beano character Desperate Dan — with how my teeth have been clamped in. It's embarrassing. I feel like I've aged 20 years in one day."

She also said the implants have caused temporomandibular disorder (TMD), a condition that affects the jaw joint and the muscles that control jaw movement, causing pain and difficulty opening and closing the mouth. Devlin described ongoing discomfort and difficulty with everyday activities such as eating and speaking.

Devlin told reporters she had been known among friends and family for her natural smile and had initially sought only minor dental work. After seeing the advertisement and attending the consultation, she says she was persuaded to accept a complete implant solution.

She declined to name the surgeon or clinic involved in the treatment in media interviews. There was no immediate response from any dental provider associated with the Leeds consultation in the available reporting.

Dental implants are used to replace missing teeth and can involve multiple procedures, including surgery to place titanium posts into the jawbone and fitting of prosthetic teeth. Complications can include infection, implant failure, and problems with bite or alignment; medical guidance states that outcomes depend on clinical assessment, surgical technique and aftercare.

Devlin said the financial cost has compounded her distress. She took out a high-interest payday loan to fund the treatment and is making monthly repayments of £666. "I never wanted this," she said. "I wanted to improve things, not to end up in more pain and debt."

The case highlights questions that can arise when patients opt for extensive dental procedures they had not initially planned, and the potential physical and financial consequences when outcomes are unsatisfactory. Devlin says she is continuing to seek resolution for the pain and dissatisfaction she attributes to the dental work.