Furious Clare Jones, 47, was shocked to find she had a gaping hole in her mouth and bleeding gums after undergoing routine keyhole surgery.

Before going under the knife, the mum-of-two signed a form confirming she had one denture, which was taken out.

But she was left stunned when she came around and realised another two front teeth had been removed during the op.

Royal Stoke University Hospital medics said they were clueless about what had happened.

Now she has been told a probe to uncover the truth could take two months.

Clare has now launched a formal complaint. WHAT'S MISSING? The hole where Clare's teeth used to be

“Now I have been left without any confidence and I won't smile at anyone because I have a huge hole in my mouth”

Clare Jones

She fumed: "Nothing was said about removing any other teeth.

"I can't afford to have that much work done at the dentist and that sort of thing terrifies me so I am not looking forward to having it all sorted."

Her partner Nigel Morris, 47, a security guard, added: "Nobody knows why this has happened and this has left Clare feeling really self-conscious.

"She is still recovering from the hysterectomy but that all went fine, but this is not helping her recovery.

"The worst thing is that there has been no explanation to why the teeth are missing." KNOCKED CONFIDENCE: Clare has been left feeling worried about her appearance

Clare, a care home nurse from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs, now has three gaps in her mouth following the op on July 15 because the teeth were used to support a bracket which held her denture in place.

She has now been told a hospital investigation could take almost two months and NHS staff have given the case a deadline of September 24.

Liz Rix, Chief Nurse at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, said: "The trust is aware of the concerns raised by Clare Jones and her family.
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