Woman, 23, dies after wisdom tooth extraction at dentist

A 23-year-old woman in Sao Paulo, Brazil, died of an infection after having her wisdom tooth extracted. The case has been registered as a suspicious death and will be investigated by the Civil Police.

Marina Mesquita Silva, from Leme, underwent tooth extraction surgery on May 10. However, two days later, the young woman returned to Odontoclinic to complain of excruciating pain at the extraction site.

Dental infections are not uncommon. In the US, there are about 2 million visits to hospital emergency departments for dental pain each year, according to data from the American Dental Association.

As early as 1908, dental infections were associated with a 10 to 40 percent risk of death, according to research by the National Library of Medicine. Thanks to antibiotics and improved hygiene, deaths from dental infections are now extremely rare.

However, if left untreated, dental infections can spread to other areas of the body—starting with the jaw, throat, and brain—where more serious complications can occur. When a tooth is extracted, these harmful bacteria have more opportunities to enter the bloodstream and cause infections.

After evaluation with the clinician, Silva was discharged. However, on May 13, the pain was still severe and Silva sought medical attention at the Municipal Emergency Department. He did the same the next day and was discharged both times.

However, after returning to her dentist on May 15, Silva was referred to Santa Casa Hospital. He had an acute facial infection and a dental abscess at the site of the tooth extraction.

The young woman received emergency medication but, just two days later, Silva suffered two cardiac arrests and died.

Since Silva’s death, tributes have poured in for the young woman on social media. “I always want to remember you with that laugh that only you knew how to give and the way you lit up the lives of everyone around you! May you find the light. Mah, we love you so much,” wrote Aline Fernanda.

“Oh my love, I don’t know what to say, or what to think right now, may God be with you always, we will always remember you laughing, playful as always, never having a bad time!!! What a pain,” wrote Jaquline Carvalho.

The young woman’s father, Antonio Ivan Pereira da Silva, told Brazilian network EPTV that he hoped the investigation would bring justice for his daughter. “We don’t know what happened, so we’re waiting for justice,” he said. “Not for me, but for her, so it doesn’t happen to more people, to anybody else’s child.”

Lima City Hall confirmed the investigation into Silva’s death on Monday afternoon, according to G1 Globo news agency, and the results should be announced within 30 days.

Odontoclinic’s defense attorney told G1 Globo that he is gathering the patient’s medical records to present to the authorities.

“The clinic regrets what happened, but will prove that everything was done to protect the patient’s life and health, and Marina has been our client since 2012 and during that time she underwent various types of procedures” , the lawyer said.

Newsweek contact the dental clinic via WhatsApp for comments.