Alexandra Walkden, 62, was left virtually toothless after her dentist of 30 years failed to provide proper treatment for gum disease . A grandmother claims she was left 'looking like Nanny McPhee' after 13 of her teeth fell out due to dodgy dental treatment. Alexandra Walkden, 62, was left virtually toothless after her dentist of 30 years failed to provide proper treatment for gum disease. Her grandchildren likened her appearance to the screen governess with magical powers played by Emma Thompson. As a result, she was forced to pay £24,000 to undergo painful surgery for dental implants. Now Mrs Walkden, a telesales worker from Preston, Lancashire, has won £35,000 damages in an out of court settlement after taking legal action against the dentist, Dr John Musgrave, 57. She said: 'I had to have surgery to remove 13 teeth and eventually have implants fitted. 'I looked like somebody who had been in a car crash. I had black eyes, swollen mouth and I couldn't eat for a week. It's ruined my life. I don't want this to happen to anyone else. 'My grandchildren would call my Nanny McPhee when I didn't have my dentures in because I had just one tooth at the top.' Mrs Walkden had been a patient of Dr Musgrave at the Preston-based Incisive Dental Practice for 30 years and attended dental appointments with him every six months. She said: 'During these years I didn't think anything was wrong. I'd get the all clear. 'Or I would say I was having problems and he would say he would have a poke around and say its fine and to see him in six months. 'If there were problems or a tooth was twinging, he would look at it or find a cavity and say it needs filling. I trusted him implicitly. Whatever he said, I believed. She added: 'As far as I know he did a routine check but he never told me I had gum disease. He never offered for me to see a hygienist.' The truth emerged during a holiday in 2013 with her partner when Mrs Walkden's crown fell out and she went to see a local dentist. To her horror, it emerged her teeth were rotting from the inside out. She said: 'When I went to see him the first thing he said was "when was the last time you went to the dentist?". 'When I said "3 months ago", he said "that's not what your teeth are telling me". 'I was completely shocked. We cut our holiday short and came home. 'I went to another dentist close to home and they confirmed I was going to lose all my top set of teeth.' 'You can't imagine the reaction when someone tell you they will have to take all your teeth out. It was horrible. 'They asked if I wanted to sit down.. It was a feeling that was absolutely horrendous. I had 13 teeth removed. 'I also had a wisdom tooth on the bottom removed that was beyond saving and had to have an implant to replace that wisdom tooth.' Despite paying for regular private dental treatment for 30 years, Mrs Walkden was horrified to be told by another dentist that her teeth were rotting from the inside out - and the top row would need to be removed . Her grandchildren likened her appearance to Nanny McPhee, the screen governess with magical powers played by Emma Thompson. Mrs Walkden, had to endure a number of deep cleaning treatments to treat the gum disease before all but four of her top set of teeth were removed. She said: 'I had to go through a few treatments of that. I have never experienced pain like that before as they clean beneath the gum line - it's very high powered. It was like torture but it had to be done. 'Then I went to have my teeth extracted, all but 4 at first. They fitted me there and then with a partial denture.' 'I had to get used to something so alien in my mouth and learn how to speak again as it changes the shape of your mouth. I didn't want to be left with dentures for the rest of time.' Mrs Walkden eventually underwent implant surgery in April 2013 and had to go to the dentist every week. She said: 'I have spent hours at the dentists and thousands of pounds and I have only been left with around £11,000 for pain and suffering. 'Compensation is not a "pay out". No amount of money can compensate for having lost my teeth. 'The money I've received will be used to cover the thousands of pounds I have paid out of my own pocket for all the necessary remedial and cosmetic work. 'If I weren't fortunate enough to have been able to fund my treatments while the case was being fought, I don't know what state my mouth would be in right now.' She added: 'This is all because this dentist didn't do proper checks. If he had done X-rays he would have known. It is basically negligence. 'I put the time in going to the dentists and I expected to be taken care of. If you look at the dentists records you see check-up after check-up every 6 months. You just don't expect to end up going through this.' 'I felt utterly betrayed by Dr Musgrave when I found out the extent of the damage to my teeth and gums. 'I've worked hard all my life to pay for extra things in life like private dental insurance and have never missed a dentist appointment. Mrs Walkden was forced to pay £24,000 to undergo painful surgery for dental implants. She has now won £35,000 damages in an out of court settlement after taking legal action against the dentist, Dr John Musgrave . She said: 'If I weren't fortunate enough to have been able to fund my treatments while the case was being fought, I don't know what state my mouth would be in right now' 'I thought I was taking good care of my teeth and assumed that my dental insurer would have taken steps to screen its members. It was wrong to assume that my dentist's inclusion on the insurance register was a quality guarantee. 'It ruined my confidence. In that situation you just don't want to go anywhere - it's horrendous. It does nothing for your confidence and leaves you very self-conscious.' Associate solicitor, Heather Owen at the Dental Law Partnership which represented Mrs Walkden said: 'Alexandra's case was one of long-term mistreatment, compounded by a string of failures by her dentist Dr Musgrave. 'He routinely failed to check the health of her teeth, screen for gum disease, remove decay or even carry out appropriate preventative care. 'At no point was the patient advised of alternative treatment options or referred to specialists when her oral health started to decline.' Dr Musgrave, who did not admit liability, refused to comment.
Alexandra Walkden, 62, from Preston, was left virtually toothless . Her dentist of 30 years failed to provide proper treatment for gum disease . Was forced to pay £24,000 to undergo painful surgery for dental implants . Has now received £35,000 in out-of-court settlement but is still angry .