When Antonio, 73, paid €14,000 for a full dental rehabilitation at Lahsen Dental, he expected a new smile. Instead, after having all his teeth removed, he was left with pureed food and unanswered calls. The abrupt closure of four Lahsen Dental clinics across Madrid-area locations, including Alcorcón and Torrejón de Ardoz, has stranded patients mid-treatment. A support platform estimates that at least 200 people may be affected, while former employees say the number could be higher. A headline in EL MUNDO’s investigation by Luis F. Durán and Pablo Herraiz captured one patient’s reported loss: “I have been left without teeth and without €14,000.”
EL MUNDO reported that suppliers were also hit by the closures, with some laboratories claiming they are owed up to €75,000. The closures began on May 8, first affecting the original clinics, followed soon after by the newly opened Torrejón de Ardoz location. Patients have been left mid-treatment, with temporary prosthetics and little access to their medical records.
Unfinished Treatments, Lost Savings
Many patients, drawn in by television ads and steep discounts, paid large sums upfront, sometimes in cash. Antonio is not alone; other patients say they lost more than €10,000 each. A support platform formed by affected patients estimates at least 200 victims, while former employees believe the total could be closer to a thousand.
Groups of patients have gathered outside the Alcorcón clinic on Avenida de Las Retamas, demanding solutions and organizing collective legal action. They are concerned about the money they have lost and how to continue their dental care safely elsewhere.
Missing Medical Records Complicate Recovery
For many patients, the lack of access to clinical documentation is a critical barrier. Without records showing which implants were used and what work had been done or prosthetics prescribed, other dentists may struggle to take over their cases safely. One prosthetics laboratory owner, who says he is owed nearly €20,000, has stressed that identifying the right materials matters for patient safety, given the thousands of implant systems on the market.
Patients and their support group are urging authorities to secure the clinics’ contents, fearing that clinical records and treatment-related property, from custom prosthetics to expensive equipment, could disappear. Some have been visiting the shuttered clinics regularly, hoping to prevent the removal of documents and materials they consider impressive to continuing treatment.
Suppliers and Staff Also Left Unpaid
The financial fallout extends beyond patients. Dental laboratories and prosthetics companies report outstanding invoices ranging from €20,000 to €75,000, with payment delays reportedly beginning years before the closures. Employees are also seeking unpaid wages; some have filed complaints with the Mediation, Arbitration and Conciliation Service.
In the days following the closures, signs appeared in clinic windows announcing a purported change in ownership and staff. They referred to the Dentalike brand and promised patients would be contacted to resume treatment. Affected patients remain skeptical, suspecting the business could be continuing under a new name, although that has not been confirmed.
Police Investigation Underway
The patient platform has reported possible financial irregularities to Spain’s tax authorities and filed complaints with police and the courts. The National Police have begun taking statements and are investigating whether the closures could involve criminal liability. Opening an investigation does not itself establish guilt.
Attempts to reach Karim Lahsen, the chain’s owner, and his brother have gone unanswered. The Alcorcón city council has not confirmed whether complaints have been filed with its consumer affairs department.
The Lahsen Dental case shows the risks patients face when they pay large sums upfront for medical services. Those affected are seeking legal recourse as they try to restore their health and recover what they have lost.
