A 14-month-old Texas girl died after receiving treatment in her Austin dentist’s office Tuesday morning, officials said.
Daisy Lynn Torres died around two hours after an emergency crew drove her to the hospital from Austin Children’s Dentistry, officials in the Travis County medical examiner’s office told the Austin American-Statesman. The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners has opened an investigation into Daisy's death.
“Daisy was a happy baby full of life,” her aunt, Jessica Castaneda, told the Statesman. “She had just celebrated Easter with her family. She went to the dentist. Then her mother called me and asked me to pray because something went wrong and they were taking her to the hospital. Next thing we know, we’re planning funeral arrangements.”
Medical examiners haven’t released her cause of death, and representatives for the dental office have declined to say why Daisy was at the dentist’s office or what happened during the procedure, citing privacy laws.
Daisy Lynn Torres, who was 14 months old, died following a dental visit in Austin, Tex., on Tuesday morning, officials said. Medical examiner's haven't released Daisy's official cause of death.
A fundraising site for the family’s funeral expenses said Daisy was there “for a routine cavity filling and under the advice of the dentist was put under anesthesia, when the unthinkable happened.”
“Daisy quit breathing and was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital where despite efforts by the hospital staff, she passed away this morning. This was completely unexpected and has shattered this family’s world,” the YouCaring site said. It had raised over $4,200 by Wednesday night.
The dental board will interview everyone involved with Daisy’s treatment and review her patient records before recommending any potential discipline, which may include fines, educational programs or suspensions, board spokeswoman Lara Anton said. She couldn’t say whether the dentists had reported the death within 72 hours, as required, because the investigation is in progress, Anton said.
Austin Children's Dentistry spokeswoman Sarah Marshall told KVUE-TV the dentists and their staff are heartbroken by Daisy’s death.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family,” Marshall said. “This is a tragedy, and we're just waiting to learn more information from the medical examiner's office. We want to keep the privacy of the family, legal privacy, and just respectful privacy of the family.”
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