Pawel Bukowski, 48, died by suicide after dental treatment in Turkey left him without teeth. He traveled to Turkey in January last year for a procedure to remove his teeth and get temporary dentures before permanent implants. The clinic removed all of his teeth but then could not proceed with replacements due to insufficient bone thickness.
The clinic sent him home without teeth and told him to return in six months. Bukowski had serious dental issues from periodontal disease. His wife, Daria Bukowska, said the clinic had previously stated there was a 90% chance they could do the work.
After returning toothless, Bukowski was unable to eat properly and turned to drink as his mental health declined. Bukowski was taken to Norfolk and Norwich Hospital on April 24 after emergency services were alerted. A senior practitioner assessed him as hopeless with strong suicidal ideation and several risk indicators for suicide.
The decision was made not to admit him for psychiatric care due to sufficient protective factors and some evidence of future planning. A nurse could not prescribe more medication the following day due to concerns about his heavy drinking. In a similar case, Jon Denton, 34, traveled to Turkey in January this year for dental treatment costing £3,500.
He had 14 implants fitted in Turkey but experienced excruciating pain and his bottom teeth fell out when he returned to the UK. Denton suffered an infection and some teeth began to fall out after the initial procedure. Denton returned to Turkey in March for a check-up, and while under sedation, the dentist removed all his implants instead of fixing them.
He is now unable to eat soft foods like cake. Denton claims he was made to pay an additional £800 upon arrival at the clinic in Turkey. The specific names and locations of the clinics in Turkey where Bukowski and Denton received treatment have not been disclosed.
It is unclear whether the clinics have issued any official responses or statements regarding these cases, and the exact medical reasons or complications that led to the clinics being unable to complete the procedures as planned remain unknown. Regulatory or legal actions against the clinics or practitioners, if any, have not been detailed, and the full extent of financial costs incurred by the patients, including additional expenses beyond initial payments, is not fully known.