Family of woman who died after cardiac arrest during dental procedure settles action

Niamh O'Doherty, Cian O'Doherty, Michael O'Doherty, and Clodagh O'Doherty, the children and husband of the late Margaret O'Doherty, leaving Dublin District Coroners Court after the inquest in 2023. File picture: Colin Keegan

The family of a woman who suffered a cardiac arrest during an implant procedure at a Dublin dental clinic and died five days later has settled a High Court action over her death.

Mother of three Margaret O’Doherty was having the implants inserted under conscious sedation at Dublin Specialist Dentistry at Sandyford, Dublin, the High Court heard. After five of the seven implants had been completed, the 72-year old woman went into cardiac arrest. An ambulance was called and she was taken to hospital, where she died five days later.

Bruce Antoniotti, for the family, told the court it was a particularly sad and tragic case.

He said the case had settled after mediation and the settlement was without an admission of liability. It was before the court for the division of the €35,000 mental distress solatium payment only.

In the proceedings it was claimed that alleged excessive doses of an intravenous sedative and local anaesthetic had been administered and allegedly caused Ms O’Doherty to suffer cardiac arrest. All of the claims were denied.

Mr Antoniotti said the Coroners Court had returned a verdict of medical misadventure in the case three years ago and the coroner had made three recommendations to the Dental Council. These included that that the code of practice relating to the administration of general anaesthesia and sedation and on resuscitation in dentistry is urgently reviewed and updated to reflect current procedures being undertaken in an outpatient dental practice setting.

Counsel told the High Court that the O’Doherty family are anxious that “something like this does not happen again” and want to ensure that the recommendations are implemented.

Ms O’Doherty’s husband, Michael O’Doherty, from Gorey, Co Wexford, had sued oral surgeon Seamus Rogers and prosthodontist Maurice Fitzgerald, who were at the time with Dublin Specialist Dentistry which then operated at Furze Road, Sandyford, Dublin.

Ms O’Doherty had damaged her dental bridge in a fall and attended Dublin Specialist Dentistry. It was arranged she would have seven dental implants on August 18, 2020. The procedure was expected to take four hours. It was claimed that Ms O’Doherty, in the week before the surgery, enquired by email if a more conservative option of treatment was available. It was allegedly advised that implants were the best option.

In the proceedings, it was claimed there was a failure to take any, or any sufficient, care in respect of the administration and management of sedation or anaesthesia during the dental implant procedure. 

It was further claimed there was a failure to take any, or any adequate, account of the woman’s low body size, weight, and age in the context of the procedure and the sedation and anaesthesia employed.

It was further contended Ms O’Doherty suffered a type of brain injury secondary to cardiac arrest as a result of alleged improper use or management of sedation and or anaesthesia during the dental implant procedure.

All of the claims were denied.

Noting the settlement and approving the division of the solatium, Mr Justice Paul Coffey asked that his deepest sympathy be extended to the O’Doherty family, who were not in court for the ruling.