VISTA, Calif. — A dentist office in Vista said in a statement on Sunday that a 9-year-old girl had recently died after having surgery there.
The child had surgery at Dreamtime Dentistry at 950 Vista Village Dr. on March 18. The dentist’s office told FOX 5/KUSI that the surgery took place.
The girl was given medicine to make her sleepy, taken to a recovery room, and then sent home, according to the San Diego Police Department. From what the police said, the child stayed asleep on the way home and was then put in her bed.
Police said that the child’s parents had been checking on her several times during the day and later found her not responding. They called 911. The girl was taken to the emergency room at Rady Children’s Hospital, but she was later declared dead there.
There was a statement from Dr. Ryan Watkins about the incident that was shared by Dreamtime Dentistry. It can be found below:
We are very saddened by the death of our young patient, which happened a few hours after her dental treatment was finished.
Due to her young age and severe nervousness, the patient was sent to our office to get dental work done under general anaesthesia. Our dentist anaesthesiologist, who is a Diplomate of the National Dental Board of Anaesthesiology, a Fellow in Anaesthesiology from the American Dental Society of Anaesthesiology, and an active member of the American Society of Dentist Anaesthesiologists, kept an eye on her the whole time. He or she has over 20 years of experience giving children general anaesthesia safely and without any problems.
As per our normal post-anesthesia procedures, she was sent home to be cared for by her mother while she was awake, her vital signs were stable, and her protective reflexes were still working.
Right now, the cause of death has not been found. The medical examiner is doing a thorough study, and we are helping them in every way we can. We are dedicated to making sure that all the facts are known.
Because of privacy rules and the ongoing investigation, we can’t talk about specifics. We kindly ask that you please wait until the medical inspector finishes their work, as further rumours could cause the family more pain.
Our patients’ safety and health have always been and will always be our top concern. We know that people are worried and have questions about what happened, but please be patient while the investigation goes on. We want people to be quiet about rumours for the sake of the family and the dignity of the process.
We are so sorry for the family’s loss during this unbearable time of sadness. Please accept our deepest condolences as we continue to support them and fully cooperate with the medical investigation.
We will give you info when it’s time.
Dreamtime Dentistry’s Dr. Ryan Watkins is a dentist and anaesthesiologist who is a diplomat of the National Dental Board of Anaesthesia.
A Fellow of the American Society of Anaesthesiology in Dentistry
The 9-year-old’s cause and method of death are still unknown at this time.
