Student left in agony after untreated decay led to abscess that nearly caused sepsis

A student described as "traumatised" has been awarded a £26,000 settlement from her former dental practice after alleged negligence led to a severe abscess and a near-sepsis incident.

Katelyn De Blick, then 16 and from Keighley, West Yorkshire, sought treatment at her local Skipton Road Mydentist practice in summer 2021 for a cracked tooth. Instead of addressing underlying decay, the tooth was reportedly cleaned and covered with a sealant.

Weeks later, Ms De Blick returned to the practice experiencing "severe pain and a swollen jaw."

She was diagnosed with a potential infected abscess, given antibiotics, and advised to attend A&E if her condition worsened.

As the "throbbing, stabbing" pain and swelling persisted, Katelyn’s mother took her to Airedale General Hospital’s A&E department.

There, she was informed that the tooth required immediate removal and that the abscess posed a significant risk of causing sepsis.

She subsequently underwent surgery under general anaesthetic at Bradford Royal Infirmary. Medics removed the tooth and drained the abscess externally, leaving her with a "painful" open wound for several weeks and a lasting 50p-sized scar.

“The whole experience was traumatic.”

After being put in touch with the Dental Law Partnership, which completed further investigations and analysis, it was revealed Katelyn’s dentists failed to diagnose and treat decay for years.

The progression of the decay resulted in the infected abscess, the emergency hospital admission and the need for an operation and tooth removal, all of which “could have been easily avoided”.

“It was frustrating and devastating to hear that, if they had just taken a few more minutes to clean (the tooth), then I wouldn’t have had to go through all of this,” she said.

The Dental Law Partnership took on Katelyn’s case in 2021 and it was successfully settled in January 2025, when she was paid £26,000 in an out-of-court settlement.

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Source: The Independent, 22 September 2025