Surreal Dental Nightmare covering a Decade

Many have said to me I should write a book about the path I have walked since 2015 searching for help from bioligical or holistic dentists in the UK with my dental issues.

Although this is ultimately a personal crisis, in true form, I always use my life experiences in a way to try to help support or guide others. This is no different. I shared my dental story on my website and on my social media channels and You Tube in real time whilst going through my first surgeries in 2021, which was challenging whilst going through it all, especially with the trauma of that chapter.

It began for me in 2015 when I had a swelling on my gum. I could not move my head with pain. Emergency hospital appointment and scans brought no answers. My NHS dentist said my 'fibromyalgia' was the cause, my Rheumatologist told me it was not 'fibromyalgia', it was a dental. No one would help. This is when my journey began when I discovered biological/holistic dentisty in my search for answers.

For those who do not know, our teeth impact on the rest of our body and health, they are a mirror of our gut also. You can read more on my website https://www.tamaya.co.uk/dentistry

I have visited most of the 'well-known' biological dentists in the UK over 10 years. Those consultations alone have cost just under £2,000. A story familiar for many people. For various reasons did not pursue my surgeries and treatments with some of them. Hearing some patients' stories now of what they endured with some of them I am relieved it never worked out! The surgeries and treatments I did have brought their own insights and learning for me.

As at April 2025 I have spent around £18,000 in 4 years, and like many others have not found much relief from surgeries and treatments so far, and many have ended up with new issues from these procedures, which is what has happened to me too.

These four years has really highlighted the standards of biological/holistic dentistry in the UK.

In 2021 I found a dentist in Harley Street, London. They said they had been trained by the infamous Hal Huggins and they had worked as a biological dentist for I think at least 40 years. I really warmed to them and being a sensitive person myself, it felt a perfect combination of compassion and skillset. How wrong I was.

The outcome of this was having a drill screw knocked off the instrument during a root canal extraction whilst under sedation. This screw went down my throat and I had to wait 72 hours for it to pass through me, terrified it would damage me internally.

As I said to the dentist at the time despite being in shock, dentists are human, they make mistakes, it is how we deal with matters after that is important. However, the aftermath showed me that he did not care, neither did the Practice he was working from.

I then discovered this dentist was knowingly working without Indemnity insurance (a legal requirement), was then suspended by the General Dental Council (GDC) during a 2 year stressful investigation process. I discovered the dentist had a previous case against him with conditions placed by the GDC to practice and he had broken those conditions, and later showed no remorse for this or what had happened to me. He was then struck off and chose to retire just before, leaving me with £10,000 debt, and no way to claim it back.

A Barrister informed me, my case was clear cut and strong, but without the dentist having Indemnity Insurance no legal representative would take it on, as there were no guarantees of getting their fees met. The dentist could get rid of assets, move away or pass away. A very painful experience of injustice and being powerless.

In December 2021, the dental practice this dentist worked from were going to take over my care to complete my surgeries. However at very short notice to my scheduled appointment, they refused to treat met because they heard I had sought legal advice about what had happened to me, despite the dentist in question being independant to them.

I was now left without a dentist, and pursuing the path of biological/holistic choices are even more limited, and I had already seen all the 'possibles'. I had an acute trauma response to finding myself in this petrifying situation.

In 2021 I began a podcast project to raise awareness of this important issue, with the support of a TV Producer I knew from a few years back. This was delayed coming out due to my ongoing dental complications, health crashes, changes in dentists and my producer's work commitments. All interviews are completed and we aim to broadcast it all being well this year. I have been frustrated by the process, but now relieved it was not broadcast yet, as there were interviews of dentists I would no longer want to promote and possibly influence others in going to see, as I hear more and more heartbreaking patient feedback. The universe works in strange ways, we do not always understand at the time.

From 2022-2024 my care was taken over by a new biological dentist on the scene and they kindly supported me at no charge for those 2 years. That chapter unexpectedly drew to a close in September 2024. 2 years on I am no further forward with my main surgeries and have new issues to resolve, with painful facial outbreaks continuing which I believe are due to jaw bone infections and leaky gut.

It is hard to keep on going. Waking every day with the first thing in your awareness being constant chronic jaw pain and associated symptoms in your face/head and body, feeling it all day and before you fall asleep, knowing you have chronic infections impacting on your health and only a highly skilled oral surgeon can help, takes it's toll.

Those who know me will agree that I never give up. I may fall at times, but I pick myself up and continue on.

2025 had to be the year I find resolution once and for all! I had even been considering India, no clue how I would even cope with a long haul flight with my physical health and anxiety, with several UK patients now resorting to travelling there, giving up on the UK biological dentists. It was not an option that would work for me.

January 2025 I decided to visit the only biological dentist in the UK left to see who I had heard had a good skillset, but they no longer offered sedation which they agreed I needed for surgeries. It was recommended I travel to Costa Rica like other UK patients are having to do. Another long haul flight and the costs made this not a viable option for me.

It feels complete madness UK patients requiring specialist surgeries are faced with such drastic options, just to receive the care they need.

From September 2024 to April 2025 I have had no Plan B, struggled with all hope feeling lost, feeling extremely vulnerable with at times immobilising anxiety.

The symptoms I have lived with in my jaw have spread and intensified over the 10 years impacting on my life even more.

Recently a random stranger contacted me and from that contact I have a reputable oral surgeon willing to help me and my surgeries are planned. It feels like a miracle. I have tears, but now ones of relief and it has restored my faith in humanity. I still have the anxiety on how to fund this and am proceeding, trusting in miracles.

I then launched this Go Fund Me.

What are my surgeries and related expenses?

5 cavitations

Sinus surgery

Hospital

General Anaesthetic

Follow up consultations and treatments to support healing

Blood Tests

Scans

Xrays

Supplements to support immune system and healing

Travel and accommodation

I am following this path one stage at a time. I have no idea what the final total for this stage of my dental journey will be. For now, I am focusing on being infection free, to heal well and support jawbone regrowth.

I have set my figure for this Go Fund Me for £20,000 to cover costs listed above and any unplanned elements of the surgeries that may be required once I am in theatre. It maybe less it maybe more. There will be appointments post-surgery and follow up consultations all involving travel and accommodation not included in the above list.

Any monies raised and not used at this first step of surgery will remain in a Bank Account specifically set up for this purpose, to offer transparency.

I would like to give love and thanks to my husband and two sons who have seen me at my worse and stood by me supporting me with day to day life. Our German Shepherd who seems to know when I need softness around me and appears by my side. To my small circle of friends who may not understand the tooth/body connection, and those who do. To Joe my podcast producer who gave his time freely to support me over the last 4 years enduring hundreds of hours of audio journalling hearing my tears, despair, grief and frustration. Thank you does not feel enough to say to the random stranger who found me online and to the surgeon I have been blessed to meet.

As I have said, this 10 year experience has been stressful, expensive and the last 4 years traumatic both physically, mentally and emotionally.

It is hard to feel and process physical, mental and emotional pain caused by dentists. I know I am not alone. It is a pandemnic in itself. Holding onto anger and grief is not healthy for us, so we need to focus on processing our experiences.

Music is an important part of my life and I share the following track, hoping it reaches parts of you that may feel hard to reach:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u0DGIh3wLA

It was my dream about 6 years ago to set up a Not for Profit Biological/Holistic Dental Clinic with supporting therapies. I feel passionately everyone deserves a GOOD standard of dentistry that actually delivers what it claims, to support the whole body. A service for everyone regardless of their financial circumstances.

We desperately need a new era of dental care, with better standards here in the UK (and the world), and one with genuine compassion for patients.

I do not have the funds, youth, energy, health or contacts to manifest this myself. I am however a connector of people, and who knows what the future will bring.

This next chapter of my dental journey is more private for me this time round, after experiencing years of much sharing, engaging and supporting people who contact me from the dental community. I found it was too greater demand for me, especially whilst in teh midst of big surgeries, trying to process, rest and heal.

I am a very open and honest person who cares about others. I hope people will place their trust in me that I still care, and to know I never ever forget about the big picture.

This dental journey is not only about me. It is for us all. It is time for change and I will continue to do what I can to make that happen.

I hope you will choose to support my Go Fund Me. Thank you.

Jenny x