Cause, manner of death revealed for 9-year-old who died after dental procedure
Above: Report from April 2 on the death of a 9-year-old following a dental procedure.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the cause and manner of death in the passing of a 9-year-old following a dental procedure involving anesthesia at a Vista office earlier this year.
The third-grader died on March 18, several hours after undergoing surgery at Dreamtime Dentistry. The incident prompted an investigation by the San Diego Police Department's Child Abuse Unit to determine what may have led to her death.
Some of the details identified in the course of the investigation were released in a preliminary report from the medical examiner's office last month.
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According to the medical examiner, she was awake when she was discharged from the facility, but fell asleep again on the ride home. Once at home, her family moved her to her bed, where they continued to check on her throughout the day.
A short while later, they noticed she had become unresponsive, prompting them to call 911. The 9-year-old was transported to the emergency department at Rady Children's Hospital, where life-saving measures were attempted to no avail.
In the preliminary report, the medical examiner's office had listed the cause and manner of death as 'pending.' This has since been updated to describe her death as accidental, caused by Methemoglobinemia from the administration of nitrous oxide.
Methemoglobinemia is a condition commonly referred to as 'blue baby syndrome' that limits the capability of red blood cells to deliver oxygen to the rest of the body.
Some can inherit the disorder genetically, although it is also commonly associated with exposure to certain recreational drugs, medications or chemicals like nitrous oxide, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Per the medical examiner's office, the nine-year-old received nitrous oxide, which is commonly used in dental practice as a less potent anesthetic, in the cocktail of sedatives she received for her procedure.
She also had other drugs routinely used in anesthesia practice like dexamethasone, glycopyrrolate, hydromorphone, isoflurane, ketorolac, midazolam, ondansetron, propofol and sevoflurane in her system when she passed, per the medical examiner's report.
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FOX 5/KUSI reached out to Dreamtime Dentistry for comment on the new details and is awaiting response.
Dr. Ryan Watkins, the 9-year-old's dentist and anesthesiologist, said in a previous statement Dreamtime was 'deeply saddened by the tragic passing of our young patient, which occurred several hours after her completed dental procedure.'
'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,' the statement went on.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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