Dentist Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando has been ordered to pay nearly €16,000 in compensation over a number of dentistry procedures that left his patient with chronic facial pain and a permanent disability.
Mr Justice Francesco Depasquale found that a number of dentistry procedures carried out by the former Nationalist MP and current chair of the Malta Council for Science and Technology left the patient, Nathalie Bartolo, with chronic pain.
This was despite the interventions of several other dentists who said they could not reverse the damage that had been caused to the nerves in her jaw.
It resulted that the root canal treatments carried out by Pullicino Orlando were too short and had caused an infection in the patient’s jawbone.
Bartolo first went to Pullicino Orlando in March 2009 following the removal of two molars by another dentist, the court heard. She wanted to fill the gap of her missing teeth.
The following month, Pullicino Orlando placed what is known as a bridge to close the gap.
The patient returned in June complaining of severe pain, so he proceeded with a root canal treatment, conducted in three sessions until the end of July.
It resulted that the root canal treatments carried out by Pullicino Orlando were too short and had caused an infection in the patient’s jawbone
In August, still complaining of severe pain, she returned to Pullicino Orlando, who removed the bridge, but the pain persisted.
Later that month, she visited another dental surgeon who drew up a report saying that both the bridge and the root canal treatment needed to be redone. She was referred to a different dentist, Alexander Azzopardi, who redid the root treatment over five sessions.
However, her pain had not yet subsided by 2010, so Azzopardi suggested a bone biopsy which revealed that she had chronic osteomyelitis, a bone infection that required antibiotics.
Still in pain, she visited another dentist who diagnosed her with severe neurological pain and then travelled to London where a dentist performed another surgical intervention which did not improve her situation because the nerve had already been damaged.
Mr Justice Depasquale noted that the report by a court-appointed expert, John Portelli, could not be given much weight by the court since, although it covered all expert opinions, was missing one essential element: his own clinical examination of the patient.
But he said the court was morally convinced that Bartolo’s pain started following Pullicino Orlando’s dental procedure, which had caused her chronic pain. The court absolved Azzopardi of any responsibility.
In calculating the damages, the court noted that a foreign consultant concluded the woman suffered a 25% permanent disability, however, Pullicino Orlando insisted in court that the disability was not more than 12.5%.
The court fixed the compensation due by Pullicino Orlando to his former patient at €15,000, ordering him to also refund costs amounting to €721 she had incurred in payments to various doctors and dentists to treat her ailment.
Lawyer Abigail Critien represented Bartolo while lawyer James D’Agostino appeared for Pullicino Orlando.