A man said he was “insulted and upset” after he was turned away by a dentist in Wales for being “too fat for the chair”. David Bottomley, from Penderyn, said he was “gobsmacked” with what he heard when he turned up for his appointment at the Dental Lounge in Glynneath.
Mr Bottomley, who is 22 stone, said he’d never heard anything like it and became upset after being told he couldn’t be seen due to his weight on Friday, May 5. He had been a regular patient at the surgery for a decade, but claims the surgery then told him he wouldn't be able to come back because of the way he spoke to staff in retaliation.
Stories of dentists not treating patients due to their weight aren’t uncommon. The British Dental Association says risk assessments are carried out at all dental practices regarding the weight that dental chairs can hold. A spokeswoman for the body told WalesOnline: "It is important that you find out the maximum weight that your dental chair can take (normally about 20 stone) so that you can speak with patients who you think may be over this weight."
