A three-year-old girl was declared dead after taking root canal treatment from a pediatric dentist at Kothrud on June 29. The girl began feeling uncomfortable after she was sprayed with hydrogen peroxide; expert say the anesthesia might have reacted adversely. The girl’s father, Niranjan Revatkar (35), lodged a complaint against the dentist, was identified as Dr Ankur Kulkarni, who runs a clinic named Family Dental Care Clinic at Rahul Nagar near the Karve statue. The Kothrud Police, who have booked the dentist under section 304(A) of the IPC (causing death due to negligence), said they did not arrest him as the case would first be looked into by the district medical negligence committee.

Must Read: Hema Malini injured in a road accident

Revatkar, who works with a Hinjewadi-based software firm, stated in his complaint that he had taken his daughter, Sanavi, to the dentist on June 26 after she complained of pain in the teeth. The dentist told Revatkar that Sanavi needed root canal treatment in one tooth and said he would do the procedure on June 29.

3 year old Girl declared dead after Dental Procedure:

Revatkar told TOI that he was in the room when the dentist administered anaesthesia and began the procedure around 11.30 am .”While drilling into the tooth, I noticed that Sanavi had fallen asleep. The dentist used hydrogen peroxide thrice. After a few seconds, Sanavi suddenly opened her eyes wide and looked shocked. She went off to sleep again,”Revatkar said.

Revatkar alleged that the dentist did nothing though Sanavi had stopped responding. “He did not even bother to check her pulse or heartbeat and told me to take her home. Only when I told him that her condition did not appear normal that he suggested I take her to a pediatrician nearby,” he said.

Also Read: UK Food Standards Agency Finds Maggi Safe to Eat

On the other hand, Kulkarni claimed that Sanavi’s case was nothing unusual. Speaking to Mirror, he said, “There were no flaws in my treatment. When an oral cavity is diagnosed and the person complains of toothache, an RCT is performed. RCTs can be performed on one-and-a-halfyear- olds as well.”

He added that there were no complaints when she was treated by him on two previous occasions. “On the third day, I treated her for 30-35 minutes, following which she felt giddy. She was then taken to the nearest pediatric expert. I was present when the doctor was treating here. There has been no negligence from my side. It was a case of medical emergency,” he said.

Case against the dentist under section 304(A) of the IPC:

The dentist said he has been running the clinic at Kothrud since the last four years. “More than 12 patients are treated every day at the clinic. The girl was operated as per the right procedure,” he maintained.

The police said the reason for the girl’s death is still not known. “Her viscera has been preserved. We have sent it for a chemical analysis,” a police officer said.

When asked about the case, senior pediatrician Sharad Agarkhedkar told TOI, “We cannot conclusively say what could have happened, but it seems to be a case of anaphylactic reaction where the body responds adversely to the anaesthetic injection.”