The regulatory body for dentists has launched an investigation into the sudden death of a woman who suffered a medical emergency during a dental appointment in southern Manitoba.
The incident involved a 23-year-old woman from the Morden-Winkler area last Wednesday. She was treated on scene by emergency responders but later died in hospital, Dr. Daron Baxter, president of the Manitoba Dental Association, said Monday.
“Our hearts go out to the family and the friends involved, as well as the community. This is a tragic outcome and we are doing everything we can to understand what has occurred,” she said.
Baxter could not confirm whether the woman died of a pre-existing medical condition, or as a result of the service she was being provided. She did not know why the woman was at the dentist at the time.
The association is investigating the incident, as per its protocols. Police are not currently involved, she said.
Baxter said tragedies involving dental treatment are rare, but taken seriously. The association will prioritize finding answers and hold the public’s interest and protection at the forefront, she said.
“We go years without seeing this kind of outcome,” she said. “The whole event is a shock to the community and all involved, so people are taking time to reflect and leaning on the Manitoba Dental Association to go through the established protocols and processes that are in place.”
The dental clinic where the incident occurred does not have to cease operating during the investigation, Baxter told the Free Press.
She could not estimate how long the investigation will take, but said such probes sometimes result in publicly available incident reports.
“There can be public-facing documents that detail the outcomes of the investigation,” she said. “At this stage, we are still gathering information so it would be very early to say what will be available and when. Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that the public’s interest and public’s protection is at the forefront.”
The association oversees all dentists and registered dental assistants in the province. It issued a news released regarding the incident Monday afternoon.
tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
Tyler Searle
Reporter
Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press‘s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.
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