As many as 10 children suffering from a serious bacterial infections were hospitalized this week after undergoing a medical procedure similar to a root canal on their baby teeth at the Children’s Dental Group in Anaheim.
The children all had the same medical procedure over the past four months and one child tested positive for Mycobacterium abscessus, but the results have not been released yet for the other six children. The slow growing infection affects the soft tissues and bone.
An investigation by the California Dental Board into the dental office is underway to determine what led to the infections and resulting injuries to the children. Also, the dental office is reaching out to as many as 500 other families whose children underwent the procedures to remove diseased pulp from a took known as pulpotomies. These procedures would have taken place between May 3 and Sept. 6. Symptoms of the infection have begun between 15 to 85 days after the procedure.
A 4-year-old girl was one of the patients who underwent the surgery after going to the clinic for a routine checkup, her parents told the Orange County Register. Her jaw swelled up after the pulpotomy procedure and she returned to the clinic for help. The dentist then removed some of her teeth and provided her with antibiotics, but her condition worsened. The family was advised by a second dentist to take her to the hospital immediately.
The Register reported that the Anaheim dental office has agreed to stop performing the procedures as of last week and a security guard was stationed in front of the clinic.
The dental board will determine whether the dentist working at the Anaheim office will be disciplined over the incidents. The initial investigation is looking into whether water used at the dental facility became contaminated.
“To protect the health and safety of our patients, upon seeing this we began a review and testing of our systems, equipment, water and other elements in the office,” said Sam Gruenbaum, CEO of Children’s Dental Group.
Anyone whose children were treated at the facility and suffered complications may file a formal written complaint to dbc.ca.gov/consumers/complaint_info.shtml
Those of us at Johnson Attorneys Group pray for the full recovery of all the children affect by this horrible infection. The medical cost of caring for a loved one who has undergone such a traumatic medical issue is enormous, but so too is the emotional pain for coping with a child being sick. There are also other non-medical losses including time off work to care for a child as well as other costs. If you have suffered a loss due to a negligent dentist or doctor, contact our law firm for a free consultation at 800-235-6801. There are no attorneys fees taken unless a settlement is obtained.
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