Over 1,500 former patients have filed a collective legal action against the now-defunct French dental chain Dentexia, claiming that botched procedures left them with severely damaged teeth and gums. The patients, led by the victims’ association La Dent Bleue, launched the class-action lawsuit on March 3 in a Paris court, seeking justice for their suffering.
This new legal action revives a similar case filed nearly a decade ago in Lyon, where Dentexia patients first sought compensation for poor treatment. The latest complaint includes testimonies from more than 1,500 individuals, detailing a range of issues stemming from their treatment at Dentexia clinics.
Common claims among the victims include:
- Bleeding gums and intense pain following dental procedures.
- Poor-quality ‘temporary’ braces that patients were forced to wear for years.
- Defective implants that later fell out.
- Clinics closing before treatment was completed, leaving patients without care.
- Incomplete procedures, such as teeth being extracted but not replaced or restored.
- Severe pain management failures that made treatments unbearable.
- An inability to eat due to damaged teeth.
- Forced sign-ups for treatment plan loans that were never fully carried out.
- Psychological distress leading some patients to contemplate suicide due to the severity of their conditions.
Christiane Bernard, a retired factory worker from Lyon, is one of the victims. She shared her painful experience of receiving inadequate treatment at a Dentexia clinic in Vaulx-en-Velin in 2015. After enduring severe pain during her procedure, only part of her teeth were removed, and when she returned for follow-up care, the clinic had already shut down. “They told me I would need implants everywhere, but in the end, they only removed my top teeth because the pain was unbearable. The clinic closed before the treatment could be finished,” Bernard recalled.
Founded in 2012 by entrepreneur Pascal Steichen, Dentexia aimed to make dental care more affordable by offering low-cost services. However, the company faced mounting criticism for its business practices. Steichen was accused of siphoning funds through a network of companies, overcharging clients, pressuring them into taking loans, and failing to adhere to standard dental procedures. Dentexia’s business model was made possible by a 2009 law, known as the ‘loi Bachelot,’ which allowed health centers to operate without prior government approval—a regulation that was reintroduced in 2022.
Despite the chain going into liquidation in January 2016, the complaints against Dentexia continue to grow. With an estimated 2,300 victims, many former patients are still struggling to repair the damage caused by their treatments, while some remain burdened by loans for services they never fully received.
One such victim, Thomas Houssay, sought affordable dental care at Dentexia due to a hereditary dental issue. Although the cost of treatment at a standard clinic was quoted at €40,000, Dentexia promised to do the work for €18,000. However, when Dentexia filed for bankruptcy, Houssay’s treatment was incomplete, leaving him with only partial dental work and unresolved issues.
“I went there thinking it was a standard corporate response, but now I’m left with implants that don’t fit properly, and I’ve lost 20 kilos because I can’t eat properly,” Houssay said. “This is a health scandal that must be addressed.”
Other victims have shared similar experiences, finding it difficult or impossible to pay for the necessary corrective treatments. Many have been refused by established dentists or have been quoted exorbitant prices for the repairs.
“I was devastated when I looked at myself without teeth,” said Bernard. “I tried to find another dentist, but they either turned me away or quoted prices I couldn’t afford. It’s urgent that the government regulate this industry to prevent more people from suffering the same fate.”
This ongoing legal action underscores the urgency of accountability in the dental industry, as thousands of patients continue to live with the lasting consequences of their treatment at Dentexia.
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