Multiple children almost killed by conventional California dentist

Monday, September 19, 2016 by: Amy Goodrich
Tags: bacterial infection, dentist, California

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(NaturalNews) Visiting the dentist can be as scary for a young child as having a monster under their bed. And depending on which dentist or hospital you pick, their fears may be justified. At least seven children have been hospitalized with a life-threatening bacterial infection, after undergoing a standard dental procedure at the same dental clinic in Anaheim, California.

Health officials said that the bacterial infection was detected after the children underwent a common procedure called a pulpotomy, also known as a baby root canal, to remove or treat an infected tooth.

As reported by CBS News correspondent John Blackstone, local health authorities have opened an investigation into the "very unusual" situation, and immediately notified the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Life-threatening bacterial infection

Last week, the Orange County Health Care Agency received multiple reports of children who had developed infections after undergoing the same procedure at the Children's Dental Group in Anaheim. Of the eight children who showed signs of slowly progressive oral cellulitis with dental abscesses and/or respiratory infections, seven required hospitalization.

All seven hospitalized children developed abscesses and symptoms of a severe and potentially life-threatening infection between 15 and 85 days after the initial dental procedure.

The agency's spokeswoman, Jessica Good, told the LA Times that they had confirmed one M. abscessus infection, while all other cases remain under investigation until the lab results are available.

M. abscessus is a known contaminant of medical equipment, and is often found in soil, water and dust. The bacteria can cause abscesses and other skin and soft tissue infections. Furthermore, it can affect bones, and is usually only cured with prolonged antibiotic treatment.

To avoid or help defeat these types of infections, it is important to boost the immune system and strengthen the body.

As stated by Dr. Eric Handler, a public health officer with the Orange County Health Care Agency who is investigating the clinic, the bacteria is very resistant to available treatments, and needs to be taken care of quickly. In the 10 years he has worked as a public health officer, he has never seen anything like this.

One of the victims is 3-year-old Gibran, who thanks his life to the swift actions of his teacher who noticed that his face was swollen. Doctors are now closely monitoring little Gibran and treating him with IV antibiotics, after they surgically removed the abscess caused by the dangerous bacterial infection.

At least 500 more children at risk

While health officials are still trying to locate the source of the bacteria, they believe that the infections came from water used in the clinic during the procedures. Samuel Gruenbaum, CEO of Children's Dental Group said that they are doing everything possible to take care of the problem, whether it's sterilization or anything else that relates to the care of patients. Furthermore, he said that they strictly follow industry standards for care, and use up-to-date equipment and instruments.

"To protect the health and safety of our patients, upon seeing this we began a review and testing of our systems, equipment, water, and other elements in the office," the group said in a statement.

Given the fact that the bacteria can progress slowly and take weeks or even months to show itself, health authorities have said that they will contact the parents of 500 other children who have had the procedure since May.

According to CBS News, the clinic has agreed to stop performing the dental procedure for now.

"Due to the length of incubation period and the recent discontinuation of the clinic's pulpotomy practice, additional cases may be identified," the healthcare agency said.

Sources for this article include:

CBSNews.com

LATimes.com