9-Year-Old Dies After Dental Anesthesia: Concerns Rise Over Safety of In-Office Sedation
A nine-year-old girl died hours after undergoing dental surgery involving anesthesia at Dreamtime Dentistry. The child was discharged seemingly stable but later found unresponsive at home and pronounced dead at a hospital; the cause of death remains undetermined pending a medical examiner’s investigation. The dentist, Dr. Ryan Watkins, issued a statement expressing sadness and cooperating with authorities, while noting the child was monitored during the procedure and discharged in stable condition. However, Dr. Watkins has a prior history, having been placed on probation in 2020 after a patient nearly died during a procedure in his office.
John Q. Hosedrinker