If this is true as reported, what would be a suitable punishment for the dentist?
https://www.yahoo.com/news/baby-dies-under-anesthesia-dentist-211800996.html
I thought kids don’t go to the dentist until they are 3 or 4 years old. This story is horrific.
The “cardiac arrest” was probably caused by a respiratory arrest first, due to over sedation and possible lack of proper monitoring equipment.
This makes me sick. Crowns on baby teeth?!
It is now encouraged to visit a dentist by the 1st birthday.
Lose his license, which means he loses his livelihood? I would imagine his state’s department of professional regulations and his state’s dental association are all over him at this point. How horrible!
One of my daughters didn’t even have any teeth on her first birthday!
Oral health care should start before teeth appear! At a 1 year visit parents are educated on wiping baby’s gums twice a day, limiting sugary drinks, taking care of first teeth, etc. Parents can be given a finger “toothbrush” and start the daily “brushing” routine. If there are no teeth then the dentist can examine baby’s mouth and give the parents reassurance that the foundation for teeth are there - and not to worry! (I’m managing an oral health grant right now for young children so I am prepared to sell the story!)
The story posted is just awful though.
We shifted from a pediatric dentist to a family dental practice very early back in the day. To me our pediatric dental practice felt very aggressive with certain things.
It seems that I hear about younger and younger children having anesthesia for dental procedures.
I never heard of crowns for baby teeth. I’m not even sure I’ve ever heard of cavity filling for baby teeth.
A new dentist may have $300,000 of dental school debt, plus even more debt from starting or buying a practice. So that may distort his/her incentives toward chasing the money (e.g. “finding” cavities that do not exist) if his/her ethics are not strong.
I took my kids to a pediatric dentist when they were very young. Her waiting room was filled with sedated children. She told me that my five year old had a cavity between two baby teeth. Wanted me to sedate him before coming in to have it filled. I refused and she tried to make me feel guilty saying I was setting him up to hate dentists for the rest of his life. I asked my sister about it when she next came to visit because she’s a dentist. She told me that even if there HAD been decay there, it was not worth filling since they were baby teeth and would come out soon. Also was appalled at the notion of sedation for that.
I took him to another dentist who confirmed there was no decay. Has never had a filling to this day.
This dentist in the OP should be prosecuted, not just lose license.
The OP asked what a suitable punishment might be for the dentist.
I’d recommend manslaughter.
I couldn’t watch the whole video.
Sadly, this is not the first little kid to die under dentist-administered anesthesia:
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_30143210/report-3-year-old-girl-after-dental-procedure
http://www.people.com/people/mobile/article/0,20998018,00.html
And these are just a small sample of the headlines… Absolutely awful.
The first link asks if dentists should be allowed to administer anesthesia alone.
I would NEVER put my child under anesthesia unless it was an absolute medical necessity. Baby teeth cavities? Um No.
I think there is variation across states on the recommendation for early dental care (just as “standard care suggestions” for MANY medical issues vary across states). Much of what was described above about how to care for infants’ teeth and gums was discussed at my kids’ primary care visits. The pediatrician always looks briefly in the mouth and offers care suggestions. The story is VERY sad. Heartbreaking.
I forgot to answer the question (sorry). Not sure what should happen to the dentist . . . depends on the facts. But it is a devastating case. 
But the point in this case is that there were no cavities at all. I can see decades in jail coming out of it.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (national organization,leadership and policy maker for pediatric dentistry) recommends a dental visit by age one. Pediatric dentistry and pediatric primary care certainly can cross over - that’s a wonderful marriage of medical disciplines - but one doesn’t substitute for the other.
IMO, one needs to be very careful in selecting a dentist. There are a lot of people out there who just like to drill and fill.