4-Year-Old Girl Suffers 'Severe Brain Injury' at Dentist's Office

[stan4]

Originally Posted by middle-aged mom

$10,000?

My choice to be sedated by a licensed anesthesiologist during oral surgery cost me $750 out of pocket. I was also required to acknowledge in writing, the very real, albeit unlikely Potential risks associated with sedation, including death. The actual extraction performed by an oral surgeon was less than $300 and counted towards my deductible.

The cost of dental malpractice insurance in my state depends on the procedures performed by the dental practice, licensing and certifications.

Licensing and insurance regulation are state issues.

That's true and matches my colonoscopy anesthesia, but we may be talking different outpatient settings. All dental procedures may be a different issue.

Also, just bc anesthesiologist is there does not mean something can't go wrong.
We've had multiple transfers to our ER from day surgery centers for complications from anesthesia.
Outside a hospital setting, you're always looking at a higher risk.

[SRTie4k]

Reading stories like this REALLY scare me! I read another a few weeks ago where a young man died while at an oral surgeon and I have several bad teeth that need to be extracted/cut out. I am going the twilight sleep route but I am scared to death (no pun intended).

[phetaroi]

Originally Posted by Gerania

sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn't. one time, a dentist sent me to an oral surgeon in the middle of a procedure. i apparently have some not to code, uninspected wiring in my mouth. i've had a few dentists say to me, "that couldn't possibly hurt."

...

I tend to agree. Not all patient's physiology is the same. "Novocaine" is fine for me...unless it's the top 4 front teeth, where it just doesn't work at all.

[Brookside]

If you read the DMN article, The pediatric dentist in Dallas was using expensive anesthesia and sedation as a way to boost his reimbursement on Medicaid patients.

There also is a lack of professional policing amongst dentistry licensing boards. (as with all medical professionals, no one wants to toss stones from their glass houses). The guy who killed the kid in Dallas simply closed his practice, got a slap on the hand from the ADA (they did not take away his license, just his ability to administer anesthesia). He reopened his practice in another part of town and is still in business. And get this: he can administer anesthesia -- nitrous oxide.

Kill a kid = no problem!


Dr. John Riehs

[DutchessCottonPuff]

Originally Posted by ocnjgirl

Aneshesia carries a lot of risk. In my first nursing home job, there was a young girl who had the same thing happen to her, she was non-responsive and little ore than a vegetable. I see cognitive changes all the time when they put elderly people under anesthisia, some are never the same again. When I had my wisdom teeth out, my dentist specifically wrote to the surgeon not to use general, but IV Valium as he feels general is too risky for routine procedures.

I think I have had too much surgery on all parts or something , I react not the epi AND the lidocaine without the epinephrine so bad that my dentist sen me to the oral surgeon and the knock me out with an IV benzo .
We avoided a near miss because I ASKED the Dental surgeons what they use.
One would only use KETAMINE !! I know what that is and went to see my GP to ask about the safety of this with me . My medical Dr said NO WAY and wrote a note to my dentist with what could at this point be safely used on me .
Ketamine Dr. wouldn't bend . Went to a really sweet surgeon an gently put me to sleep with a benzo .This was major dental surgery .

When one of my kids were little ( about 20 years ago ) he was I think 3 and they used a syrup that lightly sedated him . Again probably a benzo . He was very sleepy but you could wake him . He has gorgeous teeth today but his baby teeth always gave him alot of issues . He was the only child of mine that did ???

Texas Medicaid sucks MAJORLY regardless ...