A bowel cancer patient has been left unable to eat solid food after her teeth were removed due to rotting caused by cancer treatment, and she now faces a £25,000 bill for dental implants after being denied financial aid.
Patient's health struggles
Karen Moore, 64, from Nuneaton in Warwickshire, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2021 after already suffering from Guillain-Barre syndrome, fibromyalgia and post-chronic viral fatigue. She underwent major surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which exacerbated her fragile condition.
The toll on her body became so severe that she developed sepsis, and in late 2025, all her teeth were removed due to severe rotting. However, she has been left toothless and her partner has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise the £25,000 needed for implants.
Partner's account
Gary Moore said Karen's teeth began breaking down and she experienced 'pain in literally every tooth in her head'. He explained: 'It just went from bad to worse. They said in the end that the only way to deal with it is to remove them. So they did that.'
Neither Gary nor Karen were aware they wouldn't receive help beyond a set of dentures, which didn't work due to gum recession. 'Apparently the gums had receded back that much that the dentures they made - even glued in - just fell out. She can't eat anything with them. If she drinks anything they just come out, so they told us the only way to get around this is implants,' Gary said.
A full set of implants would cost £25,000, covering both jaws and drilled into Karen's cheekbones. Gary added: 'We were completely unaware we wouldn't get any help. The NHS don't want to know. They won't fund it unless you've been in an accident and you've had all your teeth smashed out, your jaw broken, etc.'
Impact on daily life
Karen has been left 'very depressed', having spent more than half a year without teeth and being fed a combination of mashed and chopped food by Gary. She survives on a mix of greens, potato and chicken, and is 'fed up with just eating mashed food all the time'.
She feels embarrassed and self-conscious, only leaving home to visit her doctor or the hospital. Gary and Karen are hoping to raise £10,000 towards the cost of the implants. The Daily Mirror has contacted the NHS for comment.
