It was supposed to be a routine dental visit, but three-year-old Finley Boyle has died following a root canal procedure.
On December 3, Finley’s mum Ashley took her to Island Dentistry in Kailua, Hawaii, to undergo four root canals. Before the procedure, the little girl was given a mixture of sedatives, including Demerol, a fast-acting opioid analgesic. Twenty-six minutes later, she went into cardiac arrest.
Ashley says her daughter did not receive immediate CPR and has filed a lawsuit against the dental practice, claiming staff were not prepared for this type of emergency.
The family’s attorney, Rick Fried, says most of the dental work was unnecessary and the tragedy could have been avoided if staff had properly administered the sedatives and monitored Finley’s vital signs.
“We’re just shocked that these drugs, in these doses, in this combination, could be given to a child of this size,” he told Hawaii News Now.
On Friday, the family spent their last moments together at Hospice Hawaii.
“We speak to her. We sing to her. Play music for her all day. She lays there. Whisper in her ear, getting Reiki, aromatherapy, acupuncture, anything, really,” said Ashley.
