North County dental office releases statement after girl dies post-surgery
VISTA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — A dental office in Vista released a statement Sunday regarding the recent passing of a 9-year-old girl following a procedure at the facility.
The child underwent surgery at Dreamtime Dentistry, located at 950 Vista Village Dr., on Tuesday, March 18, the dental office confirmed to FOX 5/KUSI.
According to the San Diego Police Department, the girl was put under anesthesia and then moved to a recovery room before being discharged from the facility. Authorities said the child remained asleep during her ride home and was then placed in her bed.
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Her parents, who had been checking on her periodically throughout the day, later found the child unresponsive and called 911, police explained further. The girl was transported to Rady Children's Hospital Emergency Department, where she was later pronounced dead.
A spokesperson for Dreamtime Dentistry released a statement from Dr. Ryan Watkins regarding the incident, which can be found below:
We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of our young patient, which occurred several hours after her completed dental procedure.
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 American Dental Society of Anesthesiology and 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.
At this time, the cause of death has not been determined. The medical examiner is conducting a thorough investigation, with which we are fully cooperating. We are committed to ensuring all facts come to light.
We cannot discuss specific details due to privacy laws and the active investigation. We respectfully ask for patience as the medical examiner completes their work, as premature speculation may cause additional pain to the family.
The safety and well-being of our patients have always been and remain our highest priority. While we understand the concerns and questions surrounding this tragic event, we respectfully ask for patience as the investigation proceeds. For the sake of the family and the integrity of the process, we encourage restraint regarding speculation.
Our hearts break for the family during this unimaginable time of grief, and we extend our deepest condolences as we maintain our focus on supporting the family and cooperating fully with the medical investigation.
We will provide updates when appropriate.
Dr. Ryan WatkinsDentist Anesthesiologist, Dreamtime Dentistry Diplomat of the National Dental Board of AnesthesiaFellow of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology
The cause and manner of the 9-year-old's death remains pending at this time.
FOX 5/KUSI's Domenick Candelieri contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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