Housewife loses teeth from veneers fitted over her decaying teeth

Housewife, 45, is awarded £50,000 after a dentist fits painful veneers over her decaying smile – resulting in her LOSING two of her own teeth

• Vania Spanias, 45, from London, was awarded £50,000 over the veneers fiasco
• She visited Dr Pamela Porras-Benito at Azamay Dental Spa in north London
• Vania had veneers fitted over 16 of her teeth, some of which were decaying
• They quickly chipped, fractured and eventually led to Vania losing two teeth

A housewife has been awarded £50,000 after a dentist fitted her with a new set of painful veneers over her decaying smile, resulting in losing  two of her own teeth. 

Vania Spanias, 45, from Barnet, north London, visited the dentist after becoming concerned with one of her teeth becoming discoloured and it was recommended that she had veneers fitted on 16 of her teeth. 

But when the new veneers were fitted over her decaying teeth, Vania claims that she was left suffering with ‘so much’ pain and infection.

She said her veneers quickly chipped, fractured and became discoloured, leaving her with painful toothache, before Vania devastatingly lost two teeth.

Vania Spanias (pictured), 45, from Barnet, north London, visited the dentist after becoming concerned with teeth discolouration and it was recommended she had veneers fitted

Vania had visited Dr Pamela Porras-Benito at Azamay Dental Spa in Cockfosters, north London, between March 2014 and March 2015 after becoming concerned about one of her teeth discolouring.

She said: ‘I was a bit concerned about discolouration at one of my teeth.  I saw Dr Porras-Benito and she recommended I had veneers fitted on 16 teeth.

‘She was singing praises about veneers and indicated they’d be right for me, so I decided to go ahead with the treatment. I suppose I just trusted her professional advice.’ 

But unfortunately for Vania, things quickly took a turn for the worse after one of her veneers cracked, despite her dentist giving ‘the impression’ they were ‘virtually indestructible’. 

But after the new veneers were fitted over her decaying teeth (above, X Ray showing decay under lumineers), Vania claims that she was left suffering with ‘so much’ pain and infection

Vania explained: ‘Dr Porras-Benito gave the impression that the veneers would last for years.

What are veneers? 

A veneer is a new surface to fit over the front of a tooth. 

They’re available on the NHS if they’re needed to improve the health of your mouth – but not just to improve the appearance of your teeth (cosmetic reasons).

Veneers can be made of:

• porcelain
• composite materials (the materials that make white fillings)

Porcelain veneers are more realistic looking and long-lasting but also much more expensive than composite veneers.

‘But it wasn’t long before one of them cracked. So, I went back to see her and she said I needed a filling to solve the problem.’

Vania claims that more of the veneers fractured which resulted in more dental appointments to get them repaired.

She said that she was having ‘more and more problems with the veneers’ and was left with her whole mouth feeling ‘really painful’.

She explained: ‘One of my teeth had also become sharp and was hurting my tongue.

‘My whole mouth just felt really painful and sensitive, and I kept experiencing more and more problems with the veneers.

‘It was ridiculous how often I was in the dentist’s chair. 

‘I finally started to question whether Dr Porras-Benito was providing adequate treatment, so saw a different dentist for a second opinion.’

Vania claimed that the new dentist was really surprised the she had the veneers fitted at all because she had ‘clear signs of decay’ on some of her teeth. 

She explained: ‘He said my veneers hadn’t been fitted properly, and couldn’t believe that some had been fitted on teeth where there were clear signs of decay. 

‘After the ordeal I’d been through this was really upsetting to hear.’

Analysis of her dental records then revealed that Dr Porras-Benito had fitted inadequate veneers on Vania’s teeth, as well proving that veneers were not necessary in the first place.

Vania’s records further showed that the veneers had also been fitted on decaying teeth, which led to the ongoing problems Vania experienced.

Vania (above) had visited Dr Pamela Porras-Benito at Azamay Dental Spa in Cockfosters, north London, between March 2014 and March 2015 before getting a second opinion

The Dental Law Partnership took on Vania’s case in 2017, which was settled in 2019 when the dentist paid £50,000 in an out of court settlement. The dentist denied liability

The housewife lost two teeth as a result and has had to have further treatment, including three implants fitted.

Jenny Wood of the Dental Law Partnership, who acted for her, said: ‘The distress and pain our client has experienced was completely unnecessary.

‘If the dentist had carried out adequate treatment in the first place, her problems could have been avoided.’

The Dental Law Partnership took on Vania’s case in 2017, which was settled in 2019 when the dentist paid £50,000 in an out of court settlement. The dentist denied liability.

Vania explained: ‘It’s all had such a negative impact on my life. I’ve been in so much pain, and undergoing further treatment and losing multiple teeth has been awful.’

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