A Texas dentist stands accused of causing the death of a 4-year-old girl by administering a lethal overdose of an opioid during an unnecessary dental procedure earlier this year.
The procedure took place on April 1 at Cuddle Kids Dental Care in Fort Worth. Chrishelle Hemphill, 48, performed a frenectomy on Aithana Rodriguez Arriaga after a teacher suggested the child might have a tongue-tie.
Police allege Hemphill gave the girl 30 milligrams of Demerol. Medical examiners later found 793 nanograms per milliliter of the drug in her blood, well above the adult toxic range. The child had also received two other sedatives and nitrous oxide.
Staff at the practice used the wrong medication during resuscitation attempts and could not locate Narcan on site, according to the arrest warrant. Hemphill was arrested on July 15 and released on a $10,000 bond.