A 14-month-old toddler died from complications of anesthesia during oral surgery at a dental practice in Austin, TX, according to the medical examiner.
The child, Daisy Lynn Torres, died March 29, 2016 from "complications of anesthesia while being treated for dental caries" at Austin Children's Dentistry, the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office told DrBicuspid.com.
The girl was being treated by Michael Melanson, DMD, and anesthesiologist David Williams, MD, clinic spokeswoman Sarah Marshall told DrBicuspid.com.
She was given propofol, nitrous oxide, and sevoflurane at concentrations that are typical for patients undergoing general anesthesia, according to the autopsy report.
The child's mother, Betty Squier, of Austin, took her daughter to the clinic for dental crowns, but halfway through, complications developed and she was taken by ambulance to the North Austin Medical Center, she told KEYE-TV. About two hours later, the child was pronounced dead.
Marshall noted that Dr. Williams was licensed anesthesiologist and had no prior complaints or disciplines.
"Our office continues to be saddened by this tragedy," according to a statement sent to DrBicuspid.com by Austin Children’s Dentistry. "We understand it has been classified as "undetermined" and cause of death was due to anesthesia complications administered by a certified medical anesthesiologist and not because of a dental procedure. We are now reviewing the complete report and we are cooperating fully with all requests from investigative agencies and will evaluate further once those entities release any final determinations,"
The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners is conducting an investigation into the girl's death, Marshall said.
