General Anesthesia and Oral Sedation Deaths –
Where is the Outrage?
The unconscionable death of Deamonte Driver because his mother could not afford to pay for timely dental treatment was heard around the world with appropriate outrage. But the silence in response to the multiple annual deaths from unnecessary and improperly administered general anesthesia and oral sedation is deadening ― literally.
Not reported at all is the damage to the brain from subclinical side effects of drugs and anoxia. The 2011 deaths listed below is not a complete list. Not all iatrogenic dentist-related deaths make the news. Perhaps what we need is a national registry of dental deaths to develop appropriate guidelines to eliminate needless administration of these valuable but overused and abused modalities.
A 17-year old high school junior died from complications following administration of general anesthesia for routine wisdom tooth surgery. (See http://www.explorehoward.com/news/82499/answers-sought-dental-surgery-death-howard-county-teen/)
An 8-year-old girl died under conscious sedation during a routine dental procedure.
A 6-year-old boy died during a dental procedure at a university dental clinic, one of four pediatric patients who have died in the past 15 months in the United States after undergoing sedation prior to dental treatment. (See http://www.drbicuspid.com/index.aspx?sec=nws&sub=rad&pag=dis&ItemId=304905)
A 13-year-old died Jan. 3, two weeks after having two teeth extracted by an oral surgeon. (See http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2011/01/05/elyria-teen-dies-nearly-2-weeks-after-dental-procedure/)
JWF