Dad, 48, took personal life after dropping tooth following botched therapy in Turkey

Pawel Bukowski, 48, had suffered for years with periodontal disease, a chronic inflammatory condition that can lead to tooth and bone loss., an inquest heard

View 5 Images

A dad became depressed and took his own life after he was left without teeth following failed dental treatment in Turkey, an inquest heard. Forklift driver Pawel Bukowski, 48, had suffered for years with periodontal disease, a chronic inflammatory condition that can lead to tooth and bone loss.

The father-of-three decided to pay to have his teeth taken out and later replaced with implants at a private clinic in Turkey offering cut price treatment. Norfolk Coroner’s Court in Norwich heard how he expected to be fitted with temporary dentures in January last year before later getting permanent implants.

But he was sent home without any dentures after his teeth were removed and he was told he would have to wait six months before returning to have his implants fitted.

The apparent failure of the procedure led to him drinking heavily and struggling to eat properly as his mental health declined. His wife Daria Bukowska told the hearing: “He lost all hope that things could improve.

“Despite all our efforts to support him, we were ultimately unable to save him.” The inquest heard how Mr Bukowski tried to get support for his mental health, but was found dead on April 28 last year at his home in Watton, Norfolk.

Mrs Bukowska said her Polish-born husband, who had lived in the UK for two decades, had always taken pride in himself, before his confidence was shattered by the loss of his teeth. She said: “He always took care of himself, his appearance and his health.”

“This was emotionally devastating for him”

Describing his dental treatment in Turkey, she said: “Unfortunately, after removing all of his teeth, the clinic told him they could not proceed further. They sent him home without any teeth and told him to return in six months.

“This was emotionally devastating for him. He was deeply broken emotionally, losing his teeth had destroyed his self-confidence and sense of hope. Despite our constant support, from me and his daughters, he was slipping away from us.”

Mrs Bukowska said her husband “deteriorated rapidly”, leading to emergency services being called on the evening of April 24 last year and him being taken to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. Mr Bukowski was assessed in the early hours of April 25 and referred to the mental health liaison team.

A senior practitioner concluded he was “hopeless with a strong suicidal ideation”, with “several risk indicators” for suicide. Despite concerns for his “safety and wellbeing”, it was decided he did not require psychiatric admission at that time due to “sufficient protective factors” and “some evidence of future planning”.

Mr Bukowski was referred to the crisis team, with the expectation that he could be admitted if necessary. He later returned home with his family, who were given safety advice and a small supply of medication for him.

The following day, a nurse was unable to prescribe further medication due to concerns over his “heavy” drinking. A psychiatrist visited Mr Bukowski at his home on April 28 “three hours later than arranged due to staff sickness” and found him hanging shortly before 1pm.

“Overlooked at every chance”

Emergency services were called, but he was pronounced dead minutes later. Mrs Bukowska criticised her husband’s care, saying the severity of his problems had been “overlooked at every chance”.

She said in a statement to the court: “He was never given anything to help with the withdrawal symptoms [of alcohol]. He was not given the medication he needed to keep him going for a few days.

“Workers did not show up, did not call us back, and finally were late. The accumulation of these things, the lack of communication, ultimately lead to where we are today.

“We as a family were not supported whatsoever with signs to look out for suicide, how to manage his withdrawal, how to support him. We trusted the expertise of workers to help us and him to get through this.

“Pawel may be just another case to people. To us, he was our world.

“We loved him deeply, and now we have to live through our worst nightmare. Pawel was failed at crucial points.

A crisis situation

“I hope that this is never repeated, that other families get to keep their dads, husbands, brothers and sons. Pawel deserved better.”

Norfolk Area coroner Johanna Thompson recorded a conclusion of suicide, saying: “There is evidence of Pawel’s intent to end his life in the messages and notes he left.” She added that the failed dental treatment had a profound impact on Mr Bukowski’s wellbeing.

Ms Thompson said: “Pawel was in a crisis situation with his mental health after undergoing dental work in Turkey, which had not only led to him losing his teeth, but it had been expensive. He developed worsening mental health after undergoing the poor dental treatment abroad.

“He begun to consume excess amounts of alcohol which in turn impacted further on his wellbeing and family life. His family became really worried about him as he was expressing intent to take his life.”

The inquest heard how Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust carried out an investigation following Mr Bukowski’s death. Ms Thompson said: “An investigation following his death did identify several lessons learnt.

It is clear there were factors which impacted upon the care provided to Pawel. “He’d not been admitted when he presented to hospital with concerning suicidal ideation, and this may have been a missed opportunity for him to receive more intensive intervention than that which occurred.”

“A was a good man”

The hearing was told that Mr Bukowski had endured significant personal loss at the age of 12 when his father died in an accident, leaving him to be raised by his mother alongside his siblings. But he was described as a “well-behaved, calm and gifted child” who completed university in Poland before working in Italy and eventually settling in the UK.

Mrs Bukowska added: “Pawel was my beloved husband, the father of our daughter, and a wonderful stepfather to my two daughters from a previous relationship. He was a son, a brother and a valued friend.

“Pawel was incredibly skilled and resourceful, what you’d call a handy man. He would carry out any renovation by himself.

“He was intelligent, well-read and had wide-ranging interests. One of his greatest passions was fishing.

“Pawel was a good man, a loving husband and a devote father. We miss him terribly and I deeply regret that we couldn’t help him in time.

“We shared a deep love.”

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.