The parents of a 17-year-old man have filed a Washington dental malpractice lawsuit against the dentist who performed the wisdom tooth extraction under anesthesia without the presence of an anesthesiologist. The parents’ wrongful death lawsuit alleges that the dentist performed both the dental procedure and the administration and monitoring of anesthesia without informing the parents that an anesthesiologist would not be participating in the procedure.
The parents allege in their lawsuit against the dental surgeon and his dental practice that after he started administering the anesthesia, the patient’s airway closed and the dentist failed to notice the closed airway for several minutes. Once the lifethreatening complication was discovered, the parents allege that the dentist and his staff failed to provide prompt and appropriate lifesaving measures that resulted in the death of the patient.
The patient’s mother stated after the dental malpractice lawsuit was filed, “As a parent, you trust that a medical professional can safely perform a routine procedure like wisdom tooth removal, and to find out that Dr. [ ] was instead multi-tasking for profit just adds to our heartbreak. Our son lost his life in a completely preventable tragedy, and our family will never be the same. But we’re committed to speaking up and raising these safety issues so that other families can make informed decisions. Parents need to be aware that this could happen to their child. More people talking about this and spreading awareness will be the catalyst for change.”
The American Dental Association (ADA) states on its website with regard to dental anesthesia: “Dental Anesthesiology is a recognized dental specialty per the National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards. The recognition was awarded in March 2019 after the proposed specialty showed that it is distinct, well-defined, and requires unique and advanced knowledge and skills; and that it contributes new knowledge, education and research to the dental profession … The administration of local anesthesia, sedation and general anesthesia is an integral part of dental practice. The American Dental Association is committed to the safe and effective use of these modalities by appropriately educated and trained dentists … Because sedation and general anesthesia are a continuum, it is not always possible to predict how an individual patient will respond. Hence, practitioners intending to produce a given level of sedation should be able to diagnose and manage the physiologic consequences (rescue) for patients whose level of sedation becomes deeper than initially intended. For all levels of sedation, the qualified dentist must have the training, skills, drugs and equipment to identify and manage such an occurrence until either assistance arrives (emergency medical service) or the patient returns to the intended level of sedation without airway or cardiovascular complications.”
If you or a loved one may have been harmed as a result of dental malpractice in Washington or in another U.S. state, you should promptly find a Washington medical malpractice lawyer, or a medical malpractice lawyer in your state, who may investigate your dental negligence claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a dental malpractice case, if appropriate.
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