- Texas pediatric dentist Dr. Chrishelle Hemphill was arrested and charged with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury following the April death of 4-year-old Aithana Rodriguez Arriaga.
- Rodriguez Arriaga died after undergoing a frenectomy, a minor tongue-tie procedure, at Cuddle Kids Dental in Fort Worth, never regaining consciousness afterward.
- Investigators determined the girl had a toxic level of the opioid pain medication meperidine (Demerol) in her system, ruling her death an accident.
- Evidence suggests the frenectomy was potentially unnecessary, as both her pediatrician and an ENT specialist had previously concluded she did not have a tongue-tie.
- Hemphill is accused of administering sedatives, and staff reportedly used flumazenil, a benzodiazepine reversal agent, instead of naloxone (Narcan), which is used for opioid overdoses, with Hemphill unable to locate Narcan during a search.
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Texas dentist arrested after 4-year-old girl dies during ‘tongue-tie’ procedure: report
