Angie Barlow British woman, victim of a botched DIY dental procedure. Country: Great Britain

Biography of Angie Barlow

Angie Barlow was a British woman who became a victim of a failed self-administered dental procedure. Like many people, she had a fear of dentists, and this fear led her to delay visiting a dentist for over 10 years. Instead, Angie chose to "fix" her smile herself, using superglue. However, her fear led her to go to extreme measures. The dangerous procedure she performed on herself caused significant damage to her teeth, with the bone supporting her upper jaw being 90% destroyed.

Professional dentists eventually helped Angie resolve her dental problems, but the solution was much more complex and costly than addressing the initial issue without the help of superglue. The new operation required Angie to use most of her savings. The dentists removed a large portion of her teeth and inserted special titanium pins in her mouth, on which her new artificial teeth remain fixed. While Angie's smile regained its original appearance, she acknowledges that she paid a very high price for it.

Angie now enjoys the benefits of a beautiful smile and feels much more confident and sociable. She works professionally as a dog walker and resides in Altrincham, Greater Manchester. Angie had been suffering from a fear of dentists for a long time, which was triggered by the tragic death of her mother from throat cancer at the age of 34. Dentists were the first to discover her mother's cancer when one of her teeth fell out, leading to further examination. This traumatic experience deeply affected Angie, and she subconsciously blocked any thoughts of visiting a dentist or making an appointment.

The problems Angie faced with her teeth were a result of her smoking habit, which had significantly impacted her oral health, causing her teeth to occasionally fall out. Angie did not want to live with gaps in her smile but also avoided seeking professional help. Instead, she resorted to simply gluing her fallen teeth back in place. However, the substance she used for bonding porcelain, wood, plastic, or metal was not suitable for working with living organic matter. The toxic components of the glue gradually caused severe damage, and by the time Angie decided to seek help, 90% of the jawbone had been irreversibly lost.

Serpil Djemal, a consultant and leading physician at the Royal College Hospital, stated that Angie Barlow's case was one of the worst he had ever seen. He emphasized that it was essential to consider not only the dental problems but also the extent of desperation that led Angie to resort to such a foolish self-treatment method. Untreated diseases often require more complex treatment later on, and at a much higher cost. In Angie's case, the treatment was considered a lesser evil, as she was able to overcome her fear and finally seek professional help. The surgery, although expensive, restored her priceless self-confidence and significantly improved her quality of life.