He had gone to Türkiye for dental work not imagining that he would return home to the UK with no teeth. The man, a 48-year-old forklift driver originally from Poland, began to suffer from severe depression which then led him to take his own life in April last year. An investigation has now been opened into the case which will have to shed light on possible responsibilities. The news is reported by the Guardian.
The trip to Türkiye
According to what has been reconstructed, the 48-year-old, married father of three children, was suffering from periodontitis, a chronic bacterial infection that destroys the supporting tissues and can even lead to tooth loss in the most serious cases. During the hearing held on Monday 13 April at the Norfolk court, it emerged that PB (these are his initials) had decided to have all his teeth replaced by carrying out the operation in Turkey. The man expected that instead of the extracted teeth he would be implanted with a temporary prosthesis, but the doctors told him that this was not expected and that he would have to return six months later to have the new implants inserted.
Mental problems and suicide
Once in the United Kingdom, the man began experiencing mental health problems aggravated by alcohol abuse and difficulties eating. That six-month wait had become a dead-end tunnel. “He had lost all hope that things could improve,” his partner told the court. The woman described her husband as someone who until then had “always taken care of himself, his appearance and his health” and the loss of his teeth had been “emotionally devastating”.
That surgery, in his mind, had been a complete failure that would cost him more money than expected. “Despite our constant support, mine and his daughters, he was distancing himself from us,” the victim’s wife said in court. On 24 April 2025 the man was admitted to hospital in Norfolk where he was diagnosed with “strong suicidal tendencies”, but doctors decided not to admit him. A few days later he was found dead at home.
The man’s illness would have been “ignored”
His wife said the symptoms he was suffering from had been “ignored at every opportunity” and criticized the fact that no doctor would give him drugs to ease the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, which she said made the situation much worse. In short, the healthcare system did not do enough to treat the depression he suffered from. “He had lost all hope that things could improve,” his partner told the judges. “Despite all our efforts to help him, in the end we were unable to save him.”
Talking about suicide is not easy. If you are experiencing an emergency situation you can call 112. If you are in danger or know someone who is you can call Friendly Phone on 02 2327 2327 (service active every day from 9am to midnight, 7 days a week) or you can get in touch with them via Whatsapp chat on number 324 011 7252 (service active every day from 6pm to 9pm). Otherwise you can contact Samaritans Onlus on 06 77208977 (costs according to your operator’s tariff plans), a service active every day from 1pm to 10pm.