Young girl dies in California after dental procedure

In a tragic case that’s now being investigated by the Stockton Police Department, Daleyza Avila Hernandez, a girl barely three years old, died while she was undergoing a dental procedure in the Children’s Dental Surgery, California. The sudden loss of the toddler on June 16, 2017, expectedly, has left the child’s mother and family grief-stricken even as they struggle to understand the unexpected event. “I don’t want this to happen to another mother like it’s happening to me,” said Daleyza’s mother, Araceli Avila, reported. “All I did was I took my daughter to the dentist because they were going to fix her teeth, and about 30 minutes later they brought her back dead,” said Avila.

When Avila went to the dentist with her daughter, she was told that she could not be present during surgery. Her daughter was having her two teeth pulled. Caps, too, were supposed to be put on two other teeth. While waiting for the dental procedure to get over, she saw an ambulance pulling up to the dentist’s office. Soon after seeing the ambulance, a nurse took her aside and informed her that there had been some problems during her daughter’s dental procedure. Her heart had stopped.

But her mother could not reconcile with what had happened. “My daughter was very healthy,” said Avila, commenting about her daughter’s general health before the visit to the dentist. But apparently, something did go wrong. The administrator of the Children’s Dental Surgery Center, Stockton, David Thompson, said Daleyza reacted to the anesthetic and was soon shifted to the hospital.

“It’s a terrible, terrible tragedy honestly and our thoughts and prayers are really with the family right now,” said Thompson.

More details explaining the incident and the timeline of events are still unknown. Information about the identities of the dentist and the anesthesiologist who carried out the procedure is yet to be revealed. Though Thompson said, the staff is professional and trained. “We’re committed to helping kids every single day. That’s our mission, that’s why we’re here, it’s risky not everyone wants to do it,” he said.

A statement was released by The Dental Board of California after the incident. “The Dental Board of California is aware of the tragic situation. An investigation is underway so specific details of the case cannot be shared at this time. Consumer protection is the board’s highest concern, and we want to extend our deepest sympathy to the family.”