"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
Death In Dental Chair Ruled Homicide

Civil Lawsuit Settled With Parents

January 11, 2006
http://www.kcra.com/news/6009943/detail.html

ANTIOCH, Calif. -- The Sacramento County Coroner has ruled the death
of a 3-year-old while he was undergoing a dental procedure a homicide.
The California Dental Board and the district attorney are now
investigating the circumstances of how the boy died last summer in the
Delta-area dental office.

A dentist who conducted the procedure, William Martin Nielsen, has
been practicing and treating patients at his Antioch office during the
six months since the death of 3-year-old Rogelio Campos-Crespo, of
Brentwood.

According to authorities, the little boy was being prepped to have
crowns placed on decaying teeth, when something went wrong. The
Sacramento County Coroner's report says that "the decedent's nose and
mouth were covered by the dentist's hand to calm him, while a 4-by-4
gauze pad or sponge ... was left behind in the mouth," which caused
him to smother and likely choke on the gauze pad during the dental
procedure. The pad had been left behind in the mouth and acted as a
gag, according to the report.

The child's parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Contra Costa
County, alleging negligence. They said the dentist violated the
standard of care in a number of ways; including administering
anesthesia without closely monitoring the patient and without having
personnel certified in basic life support, and by covering the mouth
and nose when the child was having respiratory distress or cardiac
arrest.

The case was settled out of court; and the agreement is confidential.
Rogelio's parents cannot talk about the case or settlement.

Meanwhile, the district attorney could pursue criminal charges, and
the state could act on the dentist's license.

Nielsen has been licensed to practice for more than 30 years in
California. He has had no disciplinary action. When contacted by KCRA
3 Tuesday, his office said Nielsen was busy. He did not return the
call.

The dental board is investigating the case and will discuss with the
attorney general whether to suspend or revoke Nielsen's license, or
take no action.

The dentist has a special license to perform oral sedation, but the
civil lawsuit alleges that he didn't have the right equipment, and his
people didn't have the right training to do the procedure.

The district attorney expects to get the case later this week and
determine if criminal charges are warranted.


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"According to authorities, the little boy was being prepped to have
crowns placed on decaying teeth, when something went wrong."


Crowns placed on decaying teeth of a three year old?

Pre-fabricated stainless steel crowns...not the expensive lab-fabricated
kind.

But it's ridiculous for a 3 year old to have that level of decay. The
parents must have let him sleep with a bottle or while nursing.

BTW--I'm strongly against using oral sedation of any kind on a child that
age. Respiratory depression comes quickly, and cardiac arrest in a child
that age is very often fatal...even with CPR.

If a kid absolutely needs sedation beyond nitrous oxide gas (which is
immediately reversible by turning to 100% O2), off he goes to the pediatric
dentist.