This is Charlotte Bateman, 49, a baker from Collington in Herefordshire.
She was left with "vampire fangs" as a result of undiagnosed gum disease, and has just been awarded £25,000 in compensation to pay for remedial treatment.
She told PA Real Life that she had raised concerns about the fact that her teeth were "drifting" around her mouth, but her gum disease remained undiagnosed.
"When I would visit the dentist my gums would bleed so much during the examinations that they would have to stop and get me to rinse every time an instrument was put in my mouth," she said.
"One day, when I was flossing at home, a piece of debris got pushed up and lodged in my gum – gums are not meant to be soft like that. I knew something was seriously wrong."
Eventually, she was diagnosed with severe periodonatal disease in 2011. An X-ray taken during an orthodontic consultation showed that several of her teeth were exhibiting bone loss.
As a result she became locked in a year-long legal battle with her dentists, Smith, Holloman and Associated in Bromyard, Hertfordshire.
In February this year, she and the dentists settled out of court – Bateman was awarded £25,000.
However, the saga has taken its toll on her. She told PA Real Life: "My neighbour, who hadn't seen me in a while, visited shortly after that appointment and was visibly shocked at how my teeth looked.
"I was so embarrassed. I didn't want to be seen in public after that. I retreated into myself and avoided social situations."
She says that as a result of her embarrassment, her business suffered: "I work in the wedding cake industry, which is very appearance-orientated," she said.
"Looking your best is vital. I have lots of face-to-face contact with clients and struggled to project an air of confidence."
Bateman will put the money she was awarded towards corrective surgery.
Sadly, the decay was so severe that she will lose teeth in the future, she says, and so she will also need to pay for implants.
"I'd been visiting that dentist since 1988, so I trusted her," she told PA Real Life. "I've endured pain and discomfort, not to mention shattered confidence."
The practice manager at Smith, Holloman and Associated told the agency: "We have looked into this but due to patient confidentiality we cannot comment."