Dentist charged in death of 4-year-old she gave a lethal dose of opioid during tongue-tie removal, police say

Inset left: Aithana Arriaga (GoFundMe). Inset right: Chrishelle Hemphill (Fort Worth Police Department). Background: The dental practice where Aithana allegedly received a fatal overdose of a painkiller in Fort Worth, Texas (Google Maps).

A Texas dentist caused a 4-year-old girl to have a fatal overdose of a pain reliever during a medically unnecessary procedure earlier this year, according to law enforcement in the Lone Star State.

Chrishelle Hemphill, 48, stands accused of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury over the incident that took the life of Aithana Rodriguez Arriaga, according to the Fort Worth Police Department.

The procedure occurred in April at Hemphill's practice, Cuddle Kids Dental Care on Sycamore School Road in southwest Fort Worth.

Aithana's family brought her to the pediatric dentist after a preschool teacher suggested the little girl might have a tongue-tie — a condition where a piece of flesh tethers the tongue to the floor of the mouth — due to her issues pronouncing certain words, according to an arrest warrant obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

On April 1, Aithana underwent a frenectomy, a tongue-tie removal. Following the procedure, she did not wake up, according to law enforcement. The Fort Worth Fire Department rushed her to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

During Aithana's autopsy, medical examiners found the opioid Demerol in her blood at 793 nanograms per milliliter, according to the warrant. The examiners later told a detective that an acceptable adult range for the drug was 200 to 500 nanograms per milliliter.

In addition to the large dose of Demerol, which medical examiners said would be toxic for an adult, the little girl had also been given two other sedatives and nitrous oxide gas, police said.

The blood content of a drug does not reveal the exact dosage taken; however, that information was documented as well in Aithana's case, according to the warrant.

Hemphill allegedly administered a 30-milligram dose to Aithana. Another pediatric dentist cited by investigators said they would have given the child a maximum dose of 10 milligrams, police said.

Once the child was unresponsive, doctors at the practice tried to revive her — but they used the wrong drug, according to law enforcement. During resuscitation attempts, doctors administered flumazenil. But that drug is intended to reverse the effects of benzodiazepines. Since Demerol belongs to the opioid class of drugs, doctors should have administered Narcan, the warrant says.

Later, when a search warrant was executed at the scene of the crime, the defendant could not show investigators where the practice stored its Narcan, according to law enforcement.

"Throughout this investigation I have learned from Hemphill's own statements, her staff's statements and from medical professionals that there was evident neglect on Hemphill's part that led to Aithana's death," Fort Worth Police Detective J. Spragins wrote in the warrant.

Police also allege Hemphill failed to recognize and treat signs of respiratory distress when those signs were present.

The defendant was arrested on July 15. She was later released on a $10,000 surety bond, police department records show.

The victim was remembered fondly in a GoFundMe.

"Her presence always lit up a room, and she brought so much joy to everyone around her," the online fundraiser reads. "She was sweet, loving, and touched the lives of all who knew her."