Dreamtime Dentistry in Vista.
The San Diego Police Department said it’s investigating the death of a 9-year-old girl who passed away just hours after undergoing dental surgery that involved anesthesia. That procedure happened on March 18 at Dreamtime Dentistry on Vista Village Drive in Vista.
According to the medical examiner’s summary report, the child was moved to a “recovery room” after the surgery and then discharged. It says the child fell asleep on the ride home and continued to sleep when she got there.
Later, when the family checked on her, she was unresponsive, so they called 911. An ambulance took her to Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, where doctors pronounced her dead.
At this time, it’s not clear if the dental procedure played a role in her death. NBC 7 Investigates is not revealing the name of the 9-year-old. The medical examiner listed the cause and manner of death as pending.
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Recently retired dentist Dr. Michael Davis regularly testifies as an expert witness in dental malpractice cases.
“It breaks my heart,” Davis told NBC 7. “General anesthesia should be a safe procedure. It’s very alarming with any death — child or adult.”
Without knowing more details about the child’s sedation or medical history, Davis said, it’s too soon to draw any conclusions.
“When a child goes to sleep with general anesthesia, it’s a much more riskier procedure than with an adult,” Davis said.
Davis told NBC 7 that’s because children have more constricted airways than adults. He said many dentists only perform sedation work with children in a hospital operating room or outpatient surgery center.
Dr. Ryan Watkins is the only dentist listed on Dreamtime Dentistry’s website as one who performs sedation procedures.
NBC 7 Investigates visited Dreamtime Dentistry Thursday afternoon and the clinic appeared open.
Statement from Dr. Ryan Watkins
NBC 7 Investigates reached out to Dreamtime Dentistry to give Dr. Watkins an opportunity to comment for this report. A public relations firm shared this statement:
We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of our young patient, which occurred several hours after her completed dental procedure.
The patient was referred to our office for dental treatment under general anesthesia due to her young age and acute situational anxiety. Throughout the procedure, she was continuously monitored by our dentist anesthesiologist, who is a Diplomate of the National Dental Board of Anesthesiology as well as a Fellow in Anesthesiology from American Dental Society of Anesthesiology and active member of the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists who has over 20 years of experience successfully administering general anesthesia on children, with no complications observed.
Following the procedure, she was discharged in stable condition—awake, with stable vital signs and protective reflexes intact—into her mother's care, following our standard post-anesthesia protocols.
At this time, the cause of death has not been determined. The medical examiner is conducting a thorough investigation, with which we are fully cooperating. We are committed to ensuring all facts come to light.
We cannot discuss specific details due to privacy laws and the active investigation. We respectfully ask for patience as the medical examiner completes their work, as premature speculation may cause additional pain to the family.
The safety and well-being of our patients have always been and remain our highest priority. While we understand the concerns and questions surrounding this tragic event, we respectfully ask for patience as the investigation proceeds. For the sake of the family and the integrity of the process, we encourage restraint regarding speculation.
Our hearts break for the family during this unimaginable time of grief, and we extend our deepest condolences as we maintain our focus on supporting the family and cooperating fully with the medical investigation.
We will provide updates when appropriate.
Dr. Ryan Watkins
Dentist Anesthesiologist, Dreamtime Dentistry
Diplomat of the National Dental Board of Anesthesia
Fellow of the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology
Another of Dr. Watkin’s patients nearly died during a procedure
NBC 7 Investigates also reached out to the Dental Board of California, which told us they do not confirm or discuss investigations.
If the dental board does investigate Watkins, it wouldn’t be the first time. Back in 2016, one of his patients nearly died after being put under anesthesia during a dental procedure.
State investigators say Watkins’ dental office gave a 54-year-old patient two drugs which led to the patient’s heart stopping. They said one of those drugs should never have been administered.
Documents state that the patient was unresponsive when medics arrived nine minutes later, but say the patient was able to respond non-verbally before they arrived at the hospital.
The state’s investigation took several years but resulted in Watkins being put on probation from 2020-23. Had he violated that professional probation, the state could have revoked his license. He was also ordered to reimburse the state for the cost of its investigation, which was $19,222.50.
Watkins wound up settling a civil lawsuit filed by that patient for long-term health problems.
How to look up investigations against medical professionals
Californians can do their research into any health professional, including dentists, by searching their name on the California Department of Consumer Affairs website. While all complaints are investigated, only those that result in a legal civil filing known as an accusation are posted there. In California, dentists aren’t required to notify patients if they’re on probation, which physicians and surgeons are required to do.
Ed. Note: A previous version of this report stated the patient didn’t have a heartbeat for nine minutes. In a statement to NBC 7, Dr. Watkins said he restarted the patient’s heart within a minute.
