Orthodontics closure has left woman £3,500 out of pocket and only eating puree due to unfinished treatment

Sallyann Eke was a private patient at Cheyne Walk Orthodontics and had been receiving Invisalign treatment since February 2024 to straighten her teeth, before she was able to get the composite bonding she desired.

Having had her last appointment in July last year, and her final contact with the practice in September, Sallyann has now been left with an alignment issue with her teeth – which was confirmed by an NHS doctor's appointment in recent weeks.

Not only has she lost the £3,500 she paid outright for the treatment, but she has lost four stone in weight as she has only been able to eat pureed food and it is having a negative impact on her mental health.

What happened to Cheyne Walk Orthodontics?

Cheyne Walk Orthodontics, located opposite Northampton General Hospital, shut down at the start of November last year and cited a “lack of funding” from the NHS as the reason.

In a statement, the practice said: “We have been continuing to service NHS patients at our own cost in order to maintain service, but we cannot continue to do this.”

However, a report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) revealed severe issues. Following an unannounced visit in June, inspectors concluded the practice “was not providing safe care” – and found the premises unclean, staff undertrained and emergency equipment expired since 2021.

You can read more on the report findings in a previous Chronicle & Echo story, published shortly following the closure in November 2024.

In that story, a spokesperson for the Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) issued a statement relating to NHS patients at Cheyne Walk Orthodontics.

The ICB had been working with contract holders to ensure the transfer of patient care had been managed locally before the end of November – including patients who were receiving treatment, supervised retention, and those who had been newly referred to the practice and were awaiting assessment.

But where does this leave private patients like Sallyann Eke?

Sallyann initially contacted Cheyne Walk Orthodontics in February last year, when she was unhappy with the appearance of her two front teeth and wanted them filed or composite bonded.

She was advised by the practice that her teeth would need to be straightened with Invisalign before she could have composite bonding. The straightening was set to take nine months and she began the process in April 2024, with the treatment and regular checks being absolutely fine in the beginning.

It was months later, in September, when Sallyann noticed that it was taking her longer than normal to chew her food and finish her meals. Even her children were finishing before her.

Having had her September appointment cancelled because her dentist was sick and was waiting for it to be rearranged, Sallyann phoned the practice for advice about her eating.

The mother was advised to carry on with her soups and shakes, which is a recommended part of the Invisalign process as the teeth move. This advice was given by the member of staff who sold the treatment to her.

Having heard nothing about the rescheduled appointment, and becoming increasingly concerned about her pureed meals, Sallyann was having no luck with getting in contact by phone or email.

Sallyann said Cheyne Walk Orthodontics then introduced an answer machine message to say they were undergoing refurbishment and would reopen on December 10, 2024. As she was nearing the end of her treatment, she decided to wait it out and get back in touch on that date.

“After I couldn’t get in contact on December 10, I rang another dental practice close by and they told me Cheyne Walk had shut down,” Sallyann told the Chronicle & Echo. “I burst into tears as I had nobody to fix my problem.”

She attempted to contact the Dental Complaints Service, who were unable to assist as Cheyne Walk Orthodontics has been removed from the register. The practice has also not gone into liquidation.

Sallyann continued: “I’ve lost £3,500 and four stone in weight. I can’t eat anything. My NHS dentist has now advised me to eat soft foods, but it takes me an hour-and-a-half to eat a jacket potato. It takes me so long to eat it that I don’t want it anymore.

“It’s affecting my kids as they’re noticing I am not happy. We can’t go out for dinner, which is no fun. It’s affecting my routine and I’m sad all the time. I’m in tears quite a lot as it’s affecting my mental health and digestive system.”

Sallyann managed to get an NHS doctor's appointment in mid-January and went into it expecting them to say her jaw had misaligned.

She left the appointment with the clarity that it is her teeth that are out of alignment, which means it is not something a doctor can help with. Sallyann will now need to pay for dentures and a new set of braces to rectify the issue, and is no closer to being able to eat.