The parents of a 1-year-old girl say their daughter has died after undergoing general anesthesia to fill cavities at a dentist office.
The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners is investigating the death of Daisy Lynn Torres while the family awaits autopsy results to find out what went wrong.
Daisy Lynn was supposed to have two cavities filled at Austin Children's Dentistry early Tuesday morning. Her mother, Betty Squier, says that after Daisy underwent anesthesia, the dentist came out and told her they needed to do additional dental work. Squier says she trusted the dentist was making the right decisions.
A short time later, Squier was told that Daisy Lynn had gone into cardiac arrest. Squier says that by the time paramedics arrived at the hospital, her baby was brain dead.
For now, the couple is trying to make funeral arrangements in Houston, where their families live.
"I just want everyone to know that we're very thankful for everyone that's supporting us through this difficult time, and everyone's prayers and comments and uplifting words has really made an impact, and it's something that we really need right now," she said.
A Dallas case in which a 4-year-old boy suffered a fatal drug overdose while having cavities treated prompted an investigation published by The Dallas Morning News in December. The dentist's dosage was double what state dental schools approved for sedating preschoolers. State regulators gave the dentist a $3,000 fine, online remedial classes and unsupervised probation.
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The 18-month investigation found that state agencies charged with protecting the public often fail to take strong action against dangerous dentists. Even those who are disciplined can find it easy to keep working with little or no oversight.
The boy was one of at least 85 dental patients who have died in Texas since 2010. The newspaper reported that the number of similar deaths nationwide is likely much higher.
