INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
needing five sutures and possible plastic surgery
Traumatised by the incident, the woman sued the dentist in consumer court, which held him responsible for a casual and unprofessional
approach towards the patient and ordered him to pay a compensation of Rs 60,000.When the 32-year-old mother of two from Ramamurthynagar
walked into Sure Smile Dental Care in Horamavu on the evening of June 13, 2020, little did she know her life was going to change for a while
Orthodontist Vinod Pattabiraman, who was known to her, was performing orthodontics on her front tooth when he sliced her upper lip by
accident while using a dental blade machine
The woman recalled that blood started to ooze out of the wound
The shocked and agonised woman wanted a mirror to check her wound, but this was allegedly refused by the dentist, who used a band aid on the
part and sent her home saying it was just a minor laceration
He also collected Rs 5,000 for his services.Upon reaching home, the woman realised the intensity of the cut and rushed to a hospital as the
bleeding was not stopping
The doctor told her the cut was severe that immediately needed five stitches
When the woman and her husband contacted the dentist over phone and explained the situation, the latter played it down and asked her to
return to his clinic for the stitches
The traumatised woman refused this and ended up seeking suitable medical help elsewhere.However, two days later, she was shocked to see
herself in the mirror after removing the bandage: There was a large scar from the lip to her nose
Realising that she was scarred for life, the woman sent a legal notice to the dentist on June 26, 2020
Seeking a compensation of Rs 30 lakh, she approached the Bengaluru Urban district consumer disputes redressal commission in Shantinagar
Injury to soft tissue in the course of dental treatment procedure is a possibility and causes bleeding which arrests itself, and this did
not cause any serious problem or need sutures, the attorney argued
The lawyer further stated that the dentist had asked the woman to come back to the clinic to get the wound fixed, but she refused and took
further treatment elsewhere that allegedly made the minor wound worse.
