Man took own life after Turkish dental visit left him toothless, UK inquest hears | Depression

A man left toothless after a botched dental surgery in Türkiye became depressed and committed suicide, an inquest heard.

Forklift driver Pawel Bukowski, 48, went to a private clinic in the country to have his teeth replaced in January 2025 after suffering from periodontal disease, a chronic bacterial infection that can erode gums and lead to tooth and bone loss.

Norfolk coroner’s court heard on Monday that Bukowski, who is originally from Poland and is married with three children, expected to have temporary dentures fitted to replace his extracted teeth, but was instead told he would not be given any teeth and would have to wait six months before returning to have his new implants fitted.

His wife Daria Bukowska told the inquest: “He lost all hope that things could improve. Despite all our efforts to support him, ultimately we could not save him.”

The hearing was told that concerns about Bukowski’s poor mental health after returning to England after treatment, that he had to pay more than expected for a procedure he thought had failed, that he had difficulty eating properly without his teeth, and that his excessive drinking had made matters worse.

Bukowska described her husband as someone who “always took care of himself, his appearance and his health” and said it was “emotionally devastating” when the clinic informed him that nothing would be replaced for six months after his teeth were extracted.

“He was deeply emotionally broken, losing his teeth had destroyed his self-confidence and sense of hope,” he said. “Despite the constant support from me and my daughters, he was drifting away from us.”

According to his wife, Bukowski’s mental health “deteriorated rapidly”; A call to emergency services on April 24 resulted in him being admitted to Norfolk and Norwich hospitals; where a senior practitioner described it as having “strong suicidal ideation.”

Although help was sought, it was decided that Bukowski did not need to consult psychiatry. The inquest heard he was found dead at his home four days later, on April 28, 2025.

Norfolk district coroner Johanna Thompson recorded Bukowski’s death as a suicide and told the inquest that a subsequent inquest had identified “a number of lessons” that needed to be learned and that it was “clear that there were factors affecting the care provided to Pawel”.

Bukowska criticized the care she received, saying her problems were “ignored at every turn” and that factors such as a lack of support and a refusal to give Bukowski medication to relieve alcohol withdrawal symptoms led to her death.

“Pawel failed at critical points,” Bukowska said. “I hope this never happens again and other families take care of their fathers, husbands, brothers and sons. Pawel deserved better.”