3-Year-Old Girl Likely Died From Overprescribed Drugs During Dental Procedure

Three-year-old Finley Boyle likely died because of all the drugs administered to her while she was in the dentist chair.

Finley’s parents took her to the dentist in Hawaii on December 3 to get cavities filled and for root canal procedures. As The Inquisitr previously reported, she tragically suffered a heart attack during the procedure and then lapsed into a coma and was subsequently declared brain dead. She passed away a month later.

According to the just-released report from the Honolulu chief medical examiner, Finley “probably died because of the sedatives and local anesthesia that were administered during her December dental procedure.” The medical examiner declared Finley’s death as an accident. The dental practice in question, Island Dentistry for Children, since closed its doors permanently.

The report indicated that Finley had five drugs in her system at the time: Demerol, hydroxyzine, chlorohydrate, laughing gas and a local anesthetic, lidocaine with epinephrine. Finley apparently had no history of heart problems or allergic reactions to the sedatives.

The family has filed a negligence lawsuit against the practice and the dentist for reportedly using improper medications and incorrect dosages and not following appropriate procedures such as monitoring her vital signs or being properly trained for emergencies. “When the girl went into cardiac arrest, a doctor from another office had to be brought in to perform CPR — which Ms. Boyle believes is the main reason her daughter fell into a coma.”

The dentist’s lawyer has deemed the allegations “unproven.”

Following this horrific tragedy, Hawaii tightened up the rules about dental sedation.

In general, does extensive dental work for young children seem unusual? According to The New York Times, perhaps not. “… [D]entists nationwide say they are seeing more preschoolers at all income levels with 6 to 10 cavities or more. The level of decay, they added, is so severe that they often recommend using general anesthesia because young children are unlikely to sit through such extensive procedures while they are awake.”

Watch a local news report about the medical examiner’s findings about the tragic death of Finley Boyle after a dental visit: