4-year-old boy dies after dental procedure in Oakland — state board investigating

The Dental Board of California is investigating the death of Dũng Lý, a four-year-old boy whose family immigrated from Vietnam in 2017, after he died following a procedure at Youthful Tooth in Oakland. The Dental Board of California is investigating the death of Dũng Lý, a four-year-old boy whose family immigrated from Vietnam in 2017, after he died following a procedure at Youthful Tooth in Oakland. Photo: The Ly Family Photo: The Ly Family Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close 4-year-old boy dies after dental procedure in Oakland — state board investigating 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

The Dental Board of California is investigating the death of a 4-year-old boy last month following a procedure at a children’s dentistry office in Oakland, officials said.

Dũng Lý went in for a dental procedure at Youthful Tooth in Oakland on April 24, according to a GoFundMe page and Facebook posts by friends and family. He was given two doses of anesthesia and stopped breathing during the procedure, the family said.

“Dũng had a history of breathing problems, so oxygen couldn’t get to the rest of his body, resulting in liver malfunction,” the boy’s cousin, Lyllian Le, wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Blood came out of his mouth and nose — a sight that deeply scared our whole family.”

Lý was rushed to Children’s Hospital in Oakland, where he died the following day, Le said.

The Dental Board of California confirmed Wednesday it is investigating whether a violation of the Dental Practice Act occurred, but the agency declined to give specifics on the case or any other complaints filed.

Two licensed dentists are registered at Youthful Tooth’s Oakland location, and one dentist holds an active certification for oral conscious sedation, according to the Department of Consumer Affairs.

Matt Woodcheke, a spokesman for the agency, confirmed an investigation is underway.

“If a violation is found, (the Dental Board of California) contacts the attorney general’s office and pursues license discipline,” he said.

Youthful Tooth declined to comment.

“It’s confidential and we can’t make any comment at this time,” said Deanna Cervantes, a corporate manager for Youthful Tooth.

Families walking in and out of the pediatric dentistry on Thursday morning shielded their heads from fat raindrops outside the squat blue-and-cream building near Oakland International Airport.

Deandre Brown, of Oakland, said he hadn’t heard about the incident after taking his twin daughters, Aaliyah and Olivia, in for their regular check-up.

While signing off on paperwork before their appointment, Brown said, he noticed staff double-checking the form on medical care and allergies.

“They were overprotective about the way I signed the paperwork,” he said.

Both girls have asthma, he said, so he did not consent to anesthesia on the documents presented to him.

“I felt suspicious,” Brown said.

California began requiring written informed consent for anesthesia for minors in 2016 after the death of Caleb Sears, a 6-year-old boy who stopped breathing during a dental procedure in Albany.

The Sears family lobbied state legislators to require dentists to report patient deaths and injuries related to anesthesia.

Over a 21-month period in 2017 and 2018, sedation was involved in two deaths and 23 hospitalizations of patients under 21, according to the Dental Board of California.

Lý’s family emigrated from Vietnam to the United States in March 2017 and planned to visit their home country next month, Le said.

A GoFundMe page for the boy’s memorial services had raised almost $8,000 as of Thursday, well over the $3,000 goal.

“He was too young and didn’t deserve to leave this world so early,” Le said.

Gwendolyn Wu is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @gwendolynawu