A 9-year-old girl died at home hours after she underwent a dental procedure that involved anesthesia in San Diego, according to a medical examiner’s report.
According to the summary report obtained by NBC San Diego, the girl underwent a procedure on March 18 at Dreamtime Dentistry in the Vista section of the city. The child was moved to a recovery room and then released into the care of her parents, who took her home.
The girl was put to bed when she returned home. Her parents say that after checking on her, they found her unresponsive.
She was taken to Rady Children’s Hospital, where she was tragically declared dead shortly after arriving. It is not yet clear whether the surgery contributed to her death. A statement from the dentist involved said that the cause of death had not been established.
The San Diego Police Department is involved in the investigation. The girl’s funeral was held in San Diego on March 26.
Experts have warned against jumping to conclusions at this stage but noted the risks that come with anesthesia are increased for children.
“When a child goes to sleep with general anesthesia, it’s a much more riskier procedure than with an adult,” said retired dentist Dr. Michael Davis, who often provides testimony as an expert witness in dental malpractice cases.
Dr. Davis explained to the NBC affiliate that it is riskier because children’s airways are more constricted than adults’. As a result, many dentists only perform sedation procedures with children in a hospital or outpatient surgery center.
Size and metabolic rate also play a role in determining the dosage of anesthesia needed.
Dr. Ryan Watkins is the only dentist at the practice listed as performing sedation procedures.
He was previously put on probation from 2020 to 2023 after being investigated by the Dental Board of California in 2016 following the near-death of an adult patient who was also under anesthesia.
The dental office gave the 54-year-old patient two drugs that contributed to the patient’s heart-stopping - including one drug that should not have been administered, state investigators said.
In a statement about the recent tragic death of the girl, Dr. Watkins said:
“The patient was referred to our office for dental treatment under general anesthesia due to her young age and acute situational anxiety.
“Throughout the procedure, she was continuously monitored by our dentist anesthesiologist, who is a Diplomate of the National Dental Board of Anesthesiology as well as a Fellow in Anesthesiology from the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology and an active member of the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists who has over 20 years of experience successfully administering general anesthesia on children, with no complications observed.
“Following the procedure, she was discharged in stable condition—awake, with stable vital signs and protective reflexes intact—into her mother's care, following our standard post-anesthesia protocols.”
