Oregon family sues dentist after 4-year-old suffers brain damage while under anesthesia
Sep 2, 2025, 8:01 AM | Updated: 8:01 am
A stock image of an operating room at a dentist's office. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
A family based in Oregon accused their child’s dentist of medical negligence in a recently filed lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court. In the lawsuit, obtained by KOIN, the family claimed their four-year-old child was given general anesthesia, despite the parents’ reservations and the child’s young age, when visiting Sunnyside Dentistry in June 2024.
The child, identified as M.L. in the lawsuit, went into the dentist’s office to have some cavities filled. The plan was originally to have M.I. be under nitrous oxide, but the dentist suggested coming back and having it done under general anesthesia. The family’s attorney said that they were not told why Davis did not use nitrous oxide.
M.L. went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to a children’s hospital. According to the lawsuit, the child spent weeks being treated for brain swelling, was put on a feeding tube, and ultimately lost basic motor functions.
According to KOIN, M.L.’s heart stopped shortly after being administered the anesthesia. The lawsuit stated the child died in the dental chair briefly before being revived through life-saving CPR and epinephrine injections.
Due to oxygen being cut off from the brain, M.L. now suffers from brain damage. According to the family, M.L. could sound out words, write and dress themselves, and use the bathroom without assistance. After the dental procedure, the child has regressed back to an “infant state,” according to the lawsuit. M.L. is relearning how to walk, talk, hold their head up, grasp objects, and use their arms and legs. M.L. now needs diapers again, despite the child being potty trained long before the dental procedure.
The family is accusing the office and the dentist of medical negligence, alleging the dental providers failed to monitor the child’s vital signs that would have prevented the cardiac arrest. They are seeking $22 million in damages for past and future medical costs.
This is a developing story, check back for updates
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