Caleb was a healthy, happy 6-and-a-half-year-old when he died in 2015 (www.calebslaw.org). He had no underlying medical problems, and he did not have anaphylaxis or other unforeseen medical conditions resulting in a complication. He received anesthesia for the removal of a mesiodens tooth in his highly respected oral surgeon’s office in Berkley, California. He was given nitrous, fentanyl, midazolam, propofol and ketamine for his anesthetic in this office. His oral surgeon was responsible for both the anesthesia and the surgical procedure. A dental assistant was monitoring Caleb with another there to help with the procedure. A dental assistant – who was required to have no more than a high school education and on-the-job training with the oral surgeon to help with all the activities in the dental office – was monitoring the anesthesia. High school education. Monitoring general anesthesia.
This is, unfortunately, not an uncommon practice in...
