A man in “agony” who visited the dentist for a tooth infection and was sent home with Panadol was found dead in his flat just two days later.
Bradley Tucek, who lived alone in North Sydney, told his family on July 13 of his toothache, which he said was causing his immense pain.
The 33-year-old tech analyst and artist visited the dentist the next day and was told he had an infection.
A dentist gave him antibiotics as well as painkillers, which his family has branded “inadequate”.
He never had the operation he was booked in for the following week as he died just two days after the initial dentist visit.
According to Nine News reports, police believed Bradley died on Saturday, July 16.
However, his body was only discovered when concerned colleagues visited his house on Monday to check on him.
Bradley’s family said he suffered a “great deal of pain and suffering” before he died alone on his kitchen floor.
A post-mortem to determine how he died was expected to take a matter of weeks.
Bradley’s death was revealed on a GoFundMe page by his sister Ally Valentine.
Ally, who set up the page to help pay for his body to be transported home to his parents in Perth, said the family’s lives had been “ripped into a billion pieces”.
“We are hurting so much and have a logistical nightmare ahead of us over the coming weeks,” she said.
She described the circumstances of her brother’s death “heart-wrenching”.
Bradley had spent much of the Covid pandemic alone due to border closures, she said, and had worked from home for some time.
Ally also questioned how her brother could have died from “a simple toothache”.
“We are utterly devastated by this and don't want Brad to be alone any longer,” she said.
“His body is currently with the NSW coroner so a post-mortem can be conducted.
“We want answers as to how a simple toothache can lead to a devastating loss of life, and this process may take weeks.”
Ally said NSW Police had ruled out suicide or foul play.
Bradley’s family, who had flown to Sydney from their home in Perth, was waiting to see what the NSW Coroner’s Court findings were.
Ally said that in the final conversation she had with Bradley, he told her he was too sick to talk.
She said there was “nobody else” like her brother, who she described as having a larger-than-life personality and being willing to fight for what he wanted.
