Anesthesia Kills 4-Year-Old After Standard Dental Visit

In Oregon, a four-year-old boy named Mykel Peterson lost his life after a visit to his dentist. It was suspected to be an anesthesia dose gone wrong.

The child's mother, Thmeka Curry, spoke with CNN, saying that it still did not hit her properly that her boy will not be returning home. She shared that she was "numb at this point," especially because the death was too sudden for her to bear. Her son, who was soon to turn five, was only supposed to have crowns put on some of his teeth. But after dosing him with anesthesia, he no longer woke up.

According to New York Daily News, the child was given a shot to put him to sleep, instead of the usual gas. Curry shared that she rocked her boy to sleep and even carried him in the room where he was put to bed. She, on the other hand, was told to wait in the lobby as the procedure is being done.

Once the procedure was finished, Mykel was put in the recovery room for the drug to wear off. However, he never woke up. When a nurse noticed that the child had not been breathing, Curry was asked to leave the room as they started doing compressions. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in an ambulance but later died.

Following the death of the child, Must Love Kids Pediatric Dentistry released a statement, saying that they have been devastated by the event. Nonetheless, the specifics will be discussed with "outside medical experts" and they refused to comment any further.

KOIN 6 News noted that the following Monday, a sign on the business' front door stated that it was closed. The Washington State Department of Health is still reviewing the case, and determining the cause of death is still pending following toxicology results.