London UK, 17th November 2006 - The British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the not-for-profit, leading organisation for the
advancement and ethical delivery of cosmetic dentistry, today told press conference at the Britannia Hotel at 10:30am, to urge
caution for patients considering cheap cosmetic dentistry offers from abroad. This is the BACD's first-ever
consumer press event, taking place during their Annual Meeting, which is attended by over 400 dentists from
all over the country.
Dentists warn they are seeing a surge in cases of botched treatment: patients coming back to the UK
with badly fitted crowns and mismatched veneers, and worst of all, nerves removed for no apparent
reason. Dr. Oliver Harmen, a dentist and BACD member, recently saw a 26-year-old female bartender
who'd been lured to Bulgaria with the promise of a smile makeover for only £1,200.
According to Dr. Oliver Harman, who works at Dentics in London;
"I was shocked at the state of Naija's teeth when she came to my practice. I can honestly say I've never
seen anything like it: nerves were removed from six upper teeth, and two teeth were takin out entirely -
which by western standards in dentistry philosophy would amount to gross over treatment, if not utter
negligence."
When the nerves are removed, not only can the teeth go black but the teeth can be weakened - and in
a case like Naija's, who is in her twenties, she could lose teeth entirely within a few years. Dr.
Harman adds:
"The people who treated Naija wanted to fit implants immediately into the ugly gaps left at the
side of her mouth, when at least a six-week healing period is recommended. She declined implants
but was not offered an alternative. Uneven crowns were fitted poorly with the glue clearly visible.
Instead of such aggressive treatment she would have been better off with a conservative approach,
such as veneers. She had no say whatsoever in the outcome of her smile."
On top of all this, one of her teeth repeatedly comes out and has to be restuck. Attractive Naija
is now so upset she refuses to smile entirely - and was almost too embarrased to show her dentist
what had happended.
James Goolnik from BACD says;
"This case is not unusual. The public need to be very careful before taking these 'holidays'.
They may be cheap, but at the risk of permanently mutilating your mouth and smile. Currently
any qualified dentist can offer cosmetic dentistry, finding an appropriately skilled cosmetic
dentist is essential to ensure treaments are beautiful, natural looking and long term. The BACD
helps the public to find local practitioners through their directory at
www.bacd.com"
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