So It Was Just Another Dirty Con Trick...
News9 mins ago
No best answer has yet been selected by pigface. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but dimmer switches are very delicate items. Some years ago I wired a new dimmer switch wrongly - much the same situation as yours - the effects being the same,and I had to go out and buy a new one! Look on the bright side you've probably learnt a very valuable lesson.
Dimmer switches are not so delicate but a short circuit to neutral will damage all but the most well protected.
What I would do is remove the dimmer switch and fit a normal switch and see if the lighting is workin correctly first. Yeah I know you said you put it back as it was but maybe not? if it is OK then you can assume the dimmer has probably died.