A 4-year-old girl tragically passed away after her Texas dentist gave her a lethal dose of pain medication. Pediatric Dentist Dr. Chrishelle Hemphill was arrested and charged with injury to a child, causing serious bodily injury, a second-degree felony.
According to the Fort Worth Police Department arrest warrant, there was neglect on the doctor’s part. She gave the child clear liquid medication to drink. The child first complained about the taste of the medication, but the doctor asked her to drink it. The experts claimed the same medication would have been lethal for an adult as well, so it was a clear case of medical negligence. The amount in 4-year-old Aithana Rodríguez-Arriaga’s reports was double the amount allowed for an adult.
BREAKING | Fort Worth police have arrested a 48-year-old doctor for allegedly causing serious injury to a child during a dental procedure, resulting in her death. https://t.co/352HH73ZEI
— WFAA (@wfaa) July 16, 2026
The detective on the case noted, “Throughout this investigation, I have learned from Hemphill’s own statements, her staff’s statements, and from medical professionals that there was evident neglect on Hemphill’s part that led to Aithana’s death.”
Other evidence suggests that the girl may not even have needed the procedure. An ENT specialist and another pediatrician previously claimed she did not have a tongue-tie. 48-year-old Hemphill was performing a routine frenectomy procedure, usually done to correct tongue-tie in kids. However, the lethal opioid-based medication led to Aithana’s death on April 1.
When the incident happened, firefighters rushed to the Cuddle Kids Dental Care in the 5300 block. They took the unresponsive child to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Aithana’s mother took her to the dentist that morning to get the procedure done after her preschool teacher told them she had the condition.
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She could not pronounce certain letters, alarming the teacher about the tongue-tie issue. During the procedure, Aithana was also given other sedatives and nitrous oxide gas, while the earlier dose of medication was alarmingly high. The opioid medication was given as a preoperative medication.
According to the investigation, the medical examiner found 793 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) of Meperidine in her system. In contrast, the adult dose is 200 to 500 ng/mL. The child should not have been given more than 0.5 mg/lb to 0.8 mg/lb.
The dentist was released on a $10,000 bond after her arrest. She could face up to 20 years in prison for the second-degree felony if convicted. Aithana’s mother explained to the investigators that she wasn’t allowed to be with her child during the procedure. The family is currently grieving the loss of her life. The mother described her little girl as “a beautiful 4-year-old girl, filled with life and kindness.”
