A man from West Molesey has won £8,500 in compensation after claiming to have received botched root canal treatment from his dentist.

James Brown, 27, said that Dr Sonia Santos of West Molesey Dental Centre performed root canal treatment for him in 2014 after he was experiencing tooth ache.

“She also fitted a temporary crown which lasted about an hour, so I went back to see Dr Santos,” Mr Brown said.

“She said there was no need to worry about the crown and finished off the treatment.”

Mr Brown added that as soon as he left the surgery he knew something wasn’t right because the tooth was loose and the area around it felt “painful and infected”.

The retail worker claims that the pain lasted months and he was “fobbed off” by Dr Santos after returning to the dentist.

According to Mr Brown, he was on a liquid diet because the pain prevented him eating solid foods.

He said: “I’d go out for a meal with friends and have to scan the menu for soup. It was ridiculous.”

After requesting a hospital referral, Mr Brown said that x-rays showed that the root canal treatment “only filled part of the tooth’s canal”.

This is alleged to have resulted in an infection and the eventual loss of his tooth.

Mr Brown then sought assistance from the Dental Law Partnership.

He said: “I was suffering for over half a year."

He added: "I now face spending yet more time at the dentist to have crowns and an implant fitted."

The case was settled in May this year with the dentist reportedly paying Mr Brown £8,500 in an out of court settlement. The dentist did not admit liability.

The West Molesey Dental Centre in West Molesey told Surrey Comet that Dr Sonia Santos left “about two years ago” and was self-employed. This newspaper was unable to reach Dr Santos for comment.