Dental Drama: California Dentist under Scrutiny for Two Fatal Procedures
Dental practitioner faced prior disciplinary action before providing care to 9-year-old girl who succumbed following anesthesia administration.
Alexandria Hoff from Special Report brings attention to a concerning situation with childhood health issues in California. Today, we're focusing on a dentist with a troubled past.
Back in 2016, Dr. Ryan Watkins was under fire for causing the heart to stop of a 54-year-old man during a dental procedure. This incident was the reason for Dr. Watkins's disciplinary action in 2020. Records show that Dr. Watkins was found to have engaged in unprofessional conduct for excessively administering drugs or treatment to the patient, identified as "MK."
Fast forward to 2025, another patient employed Dr. Watkins's services, a 9-year-old girl named Silvanna Moreno. Tragically, hours following the procedure performed by Watkins at Dreamtime Dentistry in Vista, Moreno was found unresponsive at home and eventually declared dead. The autopsy report disclosed that the cause of death was methemoglobinemia, linked to nitrous oxide used during anesthesia. Interestingly, Dr. Watkins stated that the procedure appeared to proceed without complications[2].
We should note that at the time of Moreno's death, Dr. Watkins was already subject to probation due to the earlier disciplinary action[1]. In the statement released by Dr. Watkins, he mentioned that the dose administered was within appropriate levels for her age and weight, and the incident was not a result of dosage but rather an undiagnosed or undetected medical condition[2].
Dr. Watkins continues to practice at Dreamtime Dentistry and is adamant that he has no fault in Moreno's death. He emphasized that the coroner's report indicated the death was an accident resulting from a pre-existing medical condition that was unidentified prior to the procedure[2].
Dr. Watkins is not free from culpability, however. As a result of the earlier incident, he was ordered to three and a half years of probation by the California Dental Board. In addition, he was mandated to cover over $19,000 in investigative and prosecution costs[1].
The District Attorney's office in San Diego County is currently investigating the case of Silvanna Moreno. Our thoughts are with her family during this difficult time. Stay tuned for updates on this troubling story.
Note: Alex Maze is a correspondent for our website Digital and covers a wide range of topics, including crime, politics, and human interest stories. If you have any tips, ideas, or suggestions, please email him at [email protected].
- The ongoing investigation by the District Attorney's office in San Diego County regarding Silvanna Moreno's death highlights the interconnection between health, medicine, and politics.
- In light of the various medical-conditions cases that have raised concerns in California, the incident involving Dr. Ryan Watkins underscores the importance of health-and-wellness regulations in the dental profession.
