5 Year old in Coma after Dental Visit....

[Annie]

The dentist has been suspended.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/09/30/D8KF72UG0.html

 

[A.Wood]

I had some filling put in last month and my breathe became shallow and I kept dosing off. Seems I really scared the dentist and hygentist, it wasnt suppose to knock me out, just numb my mouth. To be sedated as much as this tiny girl has, ofcourse she went into a coma. Sad that she lost her life by going to a dentist visit. Kids are scared enough of the dentist, imagine being a kid and hearing this story??!! Really terrible!

 

[hoppyfrog]

From http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_023144517.html

The Chicago dentist whose 5-year-old patient slipped into a coma and died last year should have his license suspended for six months, a state panel said Tuesday.

The Illinois Board of Dentistry issued its recommendation in the case of Dr. Hicham Riba, the dentist who treated and sedated 5-year-old Diamond Brownridge before she fell into a coma and later died in September.

The panel also recommended that, following the suspension, Riba's license be placed on probation for at least four years; that Riba's specialty license for pediatric dentistry be suspended for at least three years, that his controlled substance license be suspended for at least five years; and that his permit to sedate patients be revoked.

more at link

 

[southcitymom]

Thank you for this update. This case just breaks my heart.

 

[hipmamajen]

I remember this case, I'm glad to see this update.

 

[pedinurse]

She was without oxygen for an hour and no one noticed? That is what strikes me as wrong!

I really believe that the child could have simply had a reaction but for no one to notice...that is not right.

My daughter has had all kinds of anthesia for dental work, but always there was a way to monitor her at all times.

Lynie

An HOUR??? I mean, most people are dead after less than 10 minutes, right?

"cold and dead" for an hour - i can almost believe (miracles have happened) but warm and in a doctors office chair without oxygen for an hour? that doens't seem possible that they would have gotten her back if she'd lost her airway for that long. It sounds like she was oversedated and lost her airway to me (when you're over sedated, you can't protect your own airway or your body may be so sedated that it "forgets" (in simple terms) to breath... but who knows for how long.

 

[pedinurse]

You bring up good issues. One of my students (on welfare) is pregnant for the second time at 17. She came in the other day and showed me 3-D ultra-sound pictures of her baby. I asked whether something was wrong that they did such extensive untrasounds and she said, "No, I just wanted them!" :doh: What's up with this? I realize I haven't been pregnant for 15 years, but is this now standard? I had one ultrasound and no 3-D ultrasounds! Who pays for this? Why is it medically indicated?

Not saying your student did this but -
it doesn't matter if some pregnant women receive almost no prenatal care whatsoever - some people who don't get prenatal care will "drop in" and try to get that ultrasound. And a lot of times won't show up again until in labor. Burns me.
And you and I end up paying for it. Because I'm pretty sure the 17 year old wasn't working enough to pay for that very expensive ultrasound.

 

[Boyzmomee]

Wow...that is horrible! It sounds like she may have been given too much----she had IV sedation, plus an oral sedative, plus nitrous oxide---I'm no expert on dental related sedation, but that just seems a bit much. My son has been sedated for dental work before and was given an oral sedative plus nitrous oxide, but no IV sedation. Even w/o the IV sedation, his breathing was continuously monitored via a pulse oximeter, which measures the amount of oxygen one is getting. If the mom found her daughter not breathing, she obviously wasn't being monitored.

Reb--I think what they mean by a "storefront" dental office is that it is located at a shopping-type center amongst other businesses.

I hope she recovers & that they find out why this happened. Maybe she just had some strange allergic reaction or something?

I am a social worker. All of my clients are developmentally disabled children. Almost all require sedation dental care.

A 4 year old girl (not my client) died after being treated by a sedation dentist in my area. The dentist was exonerated as the girl died from a reaction to the anesthesia.

Many of my client's had been to him without any problem.

 

[Kymistry35]

Not attacking you here Reb, but that is BS. Kids on welfare get treated better than most other kids. they even put braces on kids teeth, but my insurance as a county employee doesn't cover it. We make a good living but cannot afford $4k for braces, so now I have to go into debt to have my daughter's braces put on. Has nothing to do with being affluent IMO.

That is not true. Medicaid does not cover braces, at least not where I live, and it is very hard to find a dentist that treats children and accepts medicaid.

 

[Kymistry35]

You bring up good issues. One of my students (on welfare) is pregnant for the second time at 17. She came in the other day and showed me 3-D ultra-sound pictures of her baby. I asked whether something was wrong that they did such extensive untrasounds and she said, "No, I just wanted them!" :doh: What's up with this? I realize I haven't been pregnant for 15 years, but is this now standard? I had one ultrasound and no 3-D ultrasounds! Who pays for this? Why is it medically indicated?

I am a teacher and my children's father is a lawyer. We struggle with medical and dental bills. I am putting off my son's braces - still recovering from my other son's braces and wisdom teeth extractions. I have had a crown, a root canal and an extraction this year and my dental insurance maxes out for the ENTIRE family at $1000. It's a joke. I have always had excellent dental care and hygiene, my problems are because I am a grinder and so are my kids.

Most of my students have NO regular dental care and their parents' teeth are awful. I can see why. It is a priority for us but we do struggle with the cost, even with decent jobs.

Eve

I would think that her being a teen and this her second pregnancy that she would be considered high risk and that is why it was done. I doubt they did it just because she wanted it. Regardless of what some people on here think medicaid does not cover everything. I was on medicaid when my oldest were born and it would not even pay for them to be circumcized and their dad was responsible for paying back all medical cost to the state.

 

[fundiva]

I am a social worker. All of my clients are developmentally disabled children. Almost all require sedation dental care.

A 4 year old girl (not my client) died after being treated by a sedation dentist in my area. The dentist was exonerated as the girl died from a reaction to the anesthesia.

Many of my client's had been to him without any problem.

When my son was 3 I took him to a dentist specializing in young children. They showed me the rooms, including one that was very dim with an exam chair in it. This is where they put the child and gave them a "cocktail" containing 5 different drugs, including Demarol and one that caused amnesia so that he would not remember the experience and be afraid to go back again. While the cocktail took effect they put a "huggy" on them - a heavy x-ray jacket that would keep them put in the chair. The parents were not allowed out of the waiting room. Needless to say, I didn't make an appointment. I went to my dentist (who I had for years) and begged him to take a toddler. He finally did. My son did great and didn't cause any fuss. They didn't give him anything but novacaine to numb his tooth. In fact, after that he always wanted to go visit Dr. Bob.

 

[Boyzmomee]

That is not true. Medicaid does not cover braces, at least not where I live, and it is very hard to find a dentist that treats children and accepts medicaid.

Medicaid will not cover braces for cosmetic reasons. If they are required for health reasons, they will be covered.

 

[Boyzmomee]

When my son was 3 I took him to a dentist specializing in young children. They showed me the rooms, including one that was very dim with an exam chair in it. This is where they put the child and gave them a "cocktail" containing 5 different drugs, including Demarol and one that caused amnesia so that he would not remember the experience and be afraid to go back again. While the cocktail took effect they put a "huggy" on them - a heavy x-ray jacket that would keep them put in the chair. The parents were not allowed out of the waiting room. Needless to say, I didn't make an appointment. I went to my dentist (who I had for years) and begged him to take a toddler. He finally did. My son did great and didn't cause any fuss. They didn't give him anything but novacaine to numb his tooth. In fact, after that he always wanted to go visit Dr. Bob.

Wow, that's scary.

 

[SewingDeb]

Following girl's death, new Illinois law sets stricter requirements for dentists

Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed the legislation mandating stricter training and permit requirements on Friday.


Starting Jan. 1, dentists must get a permit from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulations before performing deep sedation.

Dentists already have to get a permit for administering conscious sedation and anesthesia. But the new law says dentists must complete educational and equipment training to obtain permits for deep sedation. Dentists and their assistants must also be certified in CPR and continue training in sedation techniques.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...t-death,1,5326957.story?coll=chi_tab01_layout

~more at link, including Diamond's picture~

 

[crypto6]

Oh absolutely! They seem to get offended, like.... how dare we mere normal people question their professional ability!??? I don't give a damn how offended they get! I tell them I'm the momma and a good momma always knows what's best for her babies! I always ask them if something happens to my baby because of their "professional opinion" ...will they be there to pick up the peices of my shattered life? They always give me a dumbfounded look and i say, "well, good then, if i will be suffering the consequences alone, I will be making my decision solely on my own. :snooty:

I have to admit that I used to get defensive with most questions until I realized that folks were just trying to get information, and were not testing or second-guessing me. Now that I ponder these questions without the emotional falderol I was projecting on to them, I find some are quite incisive and cause me to rethink my explanations. The small minority who seem to play the know-it-all don't bother me anymore; they came for my experience and recommendations; if they don't want to listen, I can't take care of them anyway and off they go.

Crypto6

 

[crypto6]

An HOUR??? I mean, most people are dead after less than 10 minutes, right?

"cold and dead" for an hour - i can almost believe (miracles have happened) but warm and in a doctors office chair without oxygen for an hour? that doens't seem possible that they would have gotten her back if she'd lost her airway for that long. It sounds like she was oversedated and lost her airway to me (when you're over sedated, you can't protect your own airway or your body may be so sedated that it "forgets" (in simple terms) to breath... but who knows for how long.

Yep; sounds like no post-op pulse oximeter to measure the O2 getting to the blood and then the brain.
This is horrid and everyone in that office is probably devastated; I'll wager this dentist will retire or change to non-pedes because of this.

BTW, good explanation of unprotected airway and too-deep conscious anesthesia.

Crypto6

 

[GlitchWizard]

When my son was 3 I took him to a dentist specializing in young children. They showed me the rooms, including one that was very dim with an exam chair in it. This is where they put the child and gave them a "cocktail" containing 5 different drugs, including Demarol and one that caused amnesia so that he would not remember the experience and be afraid to go back again. While the cocktail took effect they put a "huggy" on them - a heavy x-ray jacket that would keep them put in the chair. The parents were not allowed out of the waiting room. Needless to say, I didn't make an appointment. I went to my dentist (who I had for years) and begged him to take a toddler. He finally did. My son did great and didn't cause any fuss. They didn't give him anything but novacaine to numb his tooth. In fact, after that he always wanted to go visit Dr. Bob.

When I was homeschooling some kids, a parent told me about the dentist her kids had. He would tie them up like in a papoose and they'd scream their fool heads off while he did his thing - and the parent wasn't allowed back there. She kept taking them back until I got them in my school. I began taking them to my dentist for the next 5 years I had them. I could NOT sit in a waiting room while my child (or their child) was screaming. I loved those boys like my own. I can't imagine.

I'd scream too, if someone took away my ability to move my arms and legs and stuck things in my face.

 

[Amraann]

When I was homeschooling some kids, a parent told me about the dentist her kids had. He would tie them up like in a papoose and they'd scream their fool heads off while he did his thing - and the parent wasn't allowed back there. She kept taking them back until I got them in my school. I began taking them to my dentist for the next 5 years I had them. I could NOT sit in a waiting room while my child (or their child) was screaming. I loved those boys like my own. I can't imagine.

I'd scream too, if someone took away my ability to move my arms and legs and stuck things in my face.

Must be how dentists in Florida handle children.
Because I know of one that would do the same. Mainly with disabled children!
Needless to say my child did not need a dentist THAT badly

 

[GlitchWizard]

Must be how dentists in Florida handle children.
Because I know of one that would do the same. Mainly with disabled children!
Needless to say my child did not need a dentist THAT badly

This was in Elkhart, Indiana.

My dentist here in Tallahassee took Donna in when we moved to Florida - he was my dentist when I was small.

Prior to me taking her to him, we tried one dentist (Tallahassee) that was on our dental plan. He threatened my daughter and when she wouldn't sit still, he told us we weren't welcome. (AS IF we'd have gone back to him after he threatened her!)

I almost wish she'd have bitten him.

 

[txsvicki]

I only make about $30,000 per year and put braces on three kids teeth and visits to the dentist every six months for all four kids. All out of my own pocket with no insurance. I have no use for the very few dentists who take Medicaid that I've had taken grandkids to, and will most likely be taking 4 grandkids to pediatric or really good dentists from now on except for maybe the cleanings and checkups because I saw one child bleeding horrible and crying in one and in the other office parents aren't allowed back for the work being done. There's no excuse for killing a child this way.