Parents of baby girl who died after dental procedure share their story

The parents of a 14-month-old girl, who died after a trip to the dentist in North Austin, are speaking about their experience, hoping to save others from the grief they are feeling.

"She was a healthy baby and something went wrong. Somebody made a mistake," said Betty Squier, Daisy Lynn Torres' mother.

Tuesday morning at 6 a.m., 14-month-old Daisy Lynn Torres was the first patient at Austin Children's Dentistry on Hymeadow Drive.

"I had originally went over there because they said she had two cavities," Betty said.

Within minutes the procedure had changed.

"I was sitting down and he came in the room and he told me, 'Well, real quick, it turns out she has six cavities,' and she has eight teeth," said Betty.

The dentist recommended putting Daisy Lynn under anesthesia. Betty briefly met with the anesthesiologist and answered any questions before Daisy Lynn was treated.

"It wasn't that long until they called me back there saying that there were complications, that she wasn't breathing and she had gone into cardiac arrest," Betty said.

The dentist told Betty her child would be okay and they had performed CPR, but he refused to let her see Daisy Lynn until EMS arrived.

"When EMS came, they told me to give her a kiss bye before they put her on the ambulance, but we already knew that she was gone there, that she had passed away at the dentist's office," said Betty.

Betty said when she got to North Austin Medical Center, Daisy Lynn was already braindead.

"Her little heart just couldn't handle it and she passed away at the hospital," said Betty.

Betty and Elizandro Torres said it's not the same without their baby girl at home and the emotional toll it's taking on their family is unbearable.

"She was a little angel. She was always laughing, always smiling; she was learning her abc's with me. I was teaching her her abc's," Elizandro said.

Austin Children's Dentistry contacted the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners and the Texas Medical Board so they could investigate the case, but a spokesperson for the dentist's office said it's not uncommon to put children under anesthesia during dental procedures.

"Children that small, you can't say, 'sit still,' and so that it is a requirement and that is why a medical doctor would be brought in to do the anesthesiology piece of it while the dentist is doing the dental procedure," said Sarah Marshall, spokesperson for Austin Children's Dentistry.

Daisy Lynn's family hopes by telling their story they can spare others from the pain they are facing.

"I really don't know how we could have been more careful or how anyone else could be more careful," said Elizandro.

"I can't take my baby home and I just want answers. I want answers. I want to know what happened to my child. I want to know why she's not here with me," Betty said.

An autopsy was performed on Daisy Lynn's body, but the results have not come back yet.

Austin Children's Dentistry said they have let any distraught staff members take leave and will have a grief counselor available.

To donate to Daisy Lynn's funeral expenses click here.