A Texas pediatric dentist was taken into custody Wednesday, months after a 4-year-old girl died as a result of a potentially needless dental operation that authorities claim used a deadly dose of sedatives, according to reports.
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dr. Chrishelle Hemphill, 48, was arrested in connection with the death of Aithana Rodriguez Arriaga, a young child at Cuddle Kids Dental in Fort Worth, in April. According to the Fort Worth Police Department, she has been charged with child injury resulting in serious bodily injury after investigators decided she was responsible for the girl’s injuries.
Rodriguez Arriaga had a frenectomy, sometimes known as a tongue-tie treatment, on April 1 but never regained consciousness afterward, according to an arrest document obtained by Fox 5 News Dallas-Fort Worth. She was brought to a hospital and eventually died.
A frenectomy is a simple treatment that loosens a tight portion of tissue behind the tongue or within the lip. It is frequently used to cure a tongue or lip tie, which allows babies to feed more readily and improves speech and oral development as they grow.
The girl’s family sought treatment when a preschool instructor suspected she had a tongue knot because she had difficulty pronouncing some letters, according to the Star-Telegram. Rodriguez Arriaga was sent to Cuddle Kids Dental Care by a relative, and Hemphill recommended a frenectomy to relieve the tissue under the tongue.
However, investigators discovered that both the girl’s pediatrician and an ear, nose, and throat expert had previously ruled that she did not have a tongue tie, according to the Star-Telegram.
A medical test revealed that Rodriguez Arriaga had a hazardous quantity of the opioid pain drug meperidine, popularly known as Demerol, in her system, according to Fox 5. According to the publication, investigators determined that the death was accidental.
According to Fox 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, Hemphill is accused of providing sedated medicines before the treatment. During the attempt to revive the youngster, staff reportedly administered flumazenil, a medicine meant to negate the effects of benzodiazepines.
According to the Star-Telegram, scientists determined that meperidine is an opioid and would require naloxone, sometimes known as Narcan, to reverse its effects. When authorities issued a search warrant at the practice, Hemphill was unable to show them where Narcan was housed, according to the documents, the site claims.
If convicted, Hemphill could face two to twenty years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
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